Horticulture and grounds manager John McIntyre and the entire grounds department have been consistently making progress in keeping our campus beautiful in a sustainable fashion. Thanks to their hard work, the University has been named a Tree Campus USA for 10 consecutive years. In addition, the team
- Is testing Avenger Organic Weed Killer to replace synthetic weed killer since the latter can negatively affect trees.
- Has converted two campus areas into walking trails, which reduces the need for lawn mowing. Annually, this saves 210 hours in labor, 346 gallons of fuel, and $1,040 (based on cost of fuel at $3/gallon), all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, wildlife has started to return to the area.
- Composts the leaves they collect on campus, with the resulting mulch ready for reuse within two years.
Kudos to the entire team for incorporating these and other sustainable practices into their work!
Know someone who’s made progress with sustainability on campus? Whether their victories are big or small, we’d love to hear about them! Email us today.
(Photo illustration: Michael Osadciw)