🐦‍⬛11.2 LuxeLakes: Funding Secured— Pitched for 1500, Walked Away with 5000

On November 2, the 2024 Green Action Initiative and Green Action Innovation Fall Evaluation and Review Meeting was successfully held at Hailang Park. The evaluation (review) panel consisted of Fan Tihui, Zeng Yali, and Gou Lin (online) from the Luxelakes Foundation Board, along with Deputy Secretary-General Liang Yan and members of the Environmental Professional Committee of the Luxelakes Community Foundation, including Tian Peng, Zhang Yuanbin, Yan Jiong, Lu Hongyan, and Yang Biao. They were joined by 10 project leads and the foundation’s secretariat.

The Green Action Initiative is a project launched by the Luxe Lake Community Foundation, dedicated to identifying and nurturing environmental issues suitable for public participation and promoting community involvement in Luxe Lake. Its goal is to cultivate individuals with ecological awareness and sustainable management skills, laying the foundation for community engagement in environmental governance.

The “Green Action Mini Fund” is a newly introduced funding initiative under the 2024 Green Action Plan of the Luxelakes Community Foundation. It aims to support residents, Green Action volunteers, local organizations, and businesses in carrying out community environmental initiatives within Luxelakes in a flexible manner.

After my 10-minute project presentation, the panel expressed strong interest in my proposal, particularly appreciating the “progressive” aspect embedded in my activity plan design. Unlike traditional birdwatching, my project integrates scientific learning and biodiversity education within birdwatching activities. Initially, I requested ¥1,500 out of the available ¥5,000 grant, but the panel unanimously agreed to award me the full ¥5,000, believing I should aim higher. They also suggested renaming my initiative from a simple “birdwatching group” to the “Luxelakes Bird-Friendly Community Development Project” to reflect its broader impact. Furthermore, they encouraged me to have more confidence in my personal strengths and project vision, emphasizing that the success of the initiative should stem from the value of my activity design itself, rather than being attributed to affiliations with schools or past research experiences.

Gj Chloe! Lesgoooo! LuxeLakes saw the value. Backed the project without hesitation. Oversubscribed by over 3x.