Renovation and Winterization of a Farmhouse for Student Housing at Blandy Experimental Farm

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"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."The University of Virginia is awarded a grant to winterize and further enhance the recent conversion of a farmhouse at the Blandy Experimental Farm into living quarters for graduate students and participants in educational workshops. This grant will increase building capacity by replacing an old septic system with a larger one and support the year round use of the facility by insulating the walls and attic, and replacing all original single pane windows with energy efficient modern windows. These changes will allow for full time occupancy of 10-12 people and short term occupancy of 20. This building will be the main living space for graduate students during the summer and serve as the chief residence for educational workshops during the non-summer months. Currently, there are no winterized structures that can house more than 6 people at the facility. Blandy Experimental Farm (http://www.virginia.edu/blandy/) is a 284 ha field station that has supported research in plant biology, ecology and the environmental sciences since 1927. It also serves as a regional site for K-12 education and environmental outreach, and contains the State Arboretum of Virginia. With over 100,000 visitors, 4500 K-12 students, and 30 resident researchers (including visiting faculty and graduate students) each year, Blandy draws a diverse audience and delivers a balance of educational opportunities in the environmental sciences. The site includes a variety of habitats, including woodland, young and old fields, and wetlands, in addition to the Arboretum itself. Thus, residents of the facility have ample opportunity to explore diverse natural systems in addition to taking advantages of educational opportunities or carrying out their own research.