Grounds
Introduction
Beautiful and welcoming campus grounds can be planned, planted, and maintained in any region while minimizing the use of toxic chemicals, protecting wildlife habitat, and conserving resources.
Featured Resources
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
Building a Monarch Waystation
- Texas A&M University-Commerce (TX)
- The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)
Building a Monarch Waystation is an easy way to support plant diversity and insect habitat. By engaging students and faculty in the creation of a ecological habitat, the campus both …
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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Arbor Day Tree Planting
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
To celebrate National Arbor Day and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's second certification as an official "Tree Campus USA," students, faculty and staff gathered to hear a proclamation of …
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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San Francisco State University Facilities Grounds dept. & Housing Sustainability Committee
- San Francisco State University (CA)
Students learned about the role Bioswales play in storm water management . A Bioswale is a large depression in the landscape that holds rain water and allows it to slowly …
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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FIU Nature Preserve Pollinator Garden Planting
- Florida International University (FL)
Florida International University's Nature Preserve is an 11-acre environmental education facility, representing the Florida Everglades. It is used to share ecological knowledge gained by university researchers with FIU students and …
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Earth Week
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (WI)
The Sustainability Office celebrated Earth Day with an entire week of activities recognizing the relationship each individual has with the environment. A variety of interactive events included garden and greenhouse …
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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Green Roof Dedication
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Penn State President Eric Barron spoke at the dedication of the HUB Green Roof, 2014 class gift, on April 21.
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Eco Action tree planting
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Penn State’s Eco Action chapter helped the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP) plant two red oak trees on Tuesday, April 25 along the President’s house driveway. They learned how …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Ryerson Earth Day Fair
- Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) (ON)
At Ryerson's Earth Day fair, students and staff were invited to get outdoors and participate in some fun activities including pollinators, cycling, seeds and more!
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Earth Day 2017: Campus Program and Activities
- Bridgewater College (VA)
- Earth Day 2017 Celeberation on Campus
- Tree planting ceremony *Pictures showing is part of an effort to raise awareness on campus about the ubiquitous nature of plastic in our lives …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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UIC Growing Green
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Did you know that the University of Illinois at Chicago has been a designated as a Tree Campus USA since 2011? UIC is dedicated to the health and preservation of …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Earth Day Tree Planting
- Florida Gulf Coast University (FL)
Students Planted trees, in coordination with Tree Campus USA, during our Earth Day celebration.
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Dandelion Festival
- Berea College (KY)
The second annual Dandelion Festival sought to educate students and the public about the importance of organic and non-invasive lawn management. The Festival opened with workshops led by two professors, …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Carbon Neutral Green Basketball Game Tree Planting
- Berea College (KY)
Each year, the Berea College Office of Sustainability hosts a Carbon Neutral Green Basketball Game. Carbon emissions are tallied from the use of the gym for the game and for …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Utah State University Earth Day 2017
- Utah State University (UT)
April 21, 2017
9:00 AM- 12:00 PM Yoga, live music, tabling on the Quad
12:30 PM Featured speaker Stacy Bare, TSC Auditorium
2:00-5:00 PM Service Projects
Utah Conservation Corps House …- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Beauty in the World We Find: Earth Week at Wake Forest University
- Wake Forest University (NC)
Students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to celebrate our urban forests, waterways, and the landscapes that surround us during Earth Week at Wake Forest. Inspired by Terry Tempest …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Photographs
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Ohio State's "Seeds of Service" brought out hundreds to clean, plant and celebrate
- The Ohio State University (OH)
As part of Ohio State University's sustainability awareness week, called "Time For Change Week 2017," students attending the "Seeds of Service" event celebrated a beautiful spring day by cleaning up …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Photographs
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Integrating Education for Sustainable Development through Tree Campus USA
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)
- Participants will be able to identify the advantages of including credit-based learning in the project versus hiring consultants
- Participants will be able to extrapolate and apply a plan for implementation …
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Making a Monarch Waystation
- The University of Texas at Dallas (TX)
How easy it is to support plant diversity and insect habitat.
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Permaculture on Campus
- Hiram College (OH)
Students help sheet mulch and add edible landscaping on Hiram College's campus this Earth Day.
- Posted April 24, 2017
- Photographs
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Suffolk County Community College - Earth Week!
- Suffolk County Community College (NY)
Suffolk County Community College Earth Week Events!
- Posted April 21, 2017
- Photographs
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Suffolk County Community College Earth Week!
- Suffolk County Community College (NY)
Earth Week Events at Suffolk County Community College
- Posted April 21, 2017
- Photographs
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Seattle University On-Site Composting Facility
- Seattle University (WA)
In 2002 Seattle University (SU) built a state-of-the-art, on-campus composting facility. The composting facility is a unique, sustainable, closed-loop system that processes pre-consumer food and yard waste that is produced …
- Posted April 20, 2017
- Case Studies
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Fredonia lights the campus green
- State University of New York at Fredonia (NY)
In celebration of Earth Month fredonia uses green lamps to light the campus, including the Landford House (the President's Residence)
- Posted April 11, 2017
- Photographs
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Using a Design Competition to Expand Bee Habitat On and Off-Campus
- University of Manitoba (MB)
- AASHE (MA)
BEE / HOUSE / LAB was an international design competition at the University of Manitoba that resulted in innovative bee houses built, installed around campus and used for research. The …
- Posted March 2, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Education for sustainability using a campus eco-garden as a learning environment
Purpose - This paper aims to explore stakeholder perspectives of the role of a campus eco-garden in education for sustainability (EfS). It will combine the perspectives to highlight a powerful …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Fields of Learning: The Student Farm Movement in North America
- Berea College (KY)
Where will the next generation of farmers come from? What will their farms look like? Fields of Learning: The Student Farm Movement in North America provides a concrete set of …
- Posted Feb. 6, 2017
- Publications
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The Environmental Benefits of Trees on an Urban University Campus
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
The University of Pennsylvania is situated on a rapidly growing and highly urbanized campus that, as of the summer of 2015, contained over 6,000 trees. Trees play an important ecological …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2016
- Publications
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Pollinator-Friendly Programs and Campuses
- Emory University (GA)
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
- Milkhouse Design Studio and Workshop (PA)
- Friends of the Earth (DC)
This presentation provides information on how to pass a pollinator protection policy on campus.
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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New Models for Campus Food Production: Orchards and Community Collaborations
- Saint Joseph's College - IN (IN)
- University of Baltimore (MD)
- Civic Works Baltimore Orchard Project (MD)
This panel session will feature how campus food production programs can serve as vehicles for community collaborations, as well as a wide variety of opportunities for experiential learning and campus …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Growing Beyond the Campus Garden
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)
- Portland State University (OR)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
In 2016, many campuses have developed community gardens on our campuses as tools for co-curricular engagement, reducing food insecurity, and iconic sustainability learning tools. But, after the initial excitement of …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Ahead of the Curve: Connect with Sustainable Gardening and Landscaping Experts
- Sustainable Gardening Institute (NJ)
- GardenComm International (NY)
- North Creek Nurseries (PA)
Searching for professional writers, editors, photographers, landscape design professionals, media personalities, or faculty who can help you gain support for your sustainable gardening and landscaping goals? Want to find out …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Rating the New Campus Landscape: How SITES Can Engage Students + Energize your Sustainability Mission
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
SITES is to campus landscapes what LEED is to buildings. Two public institutions, Grand Valley State University (Michigan) and Nassau Community College (New York) have shown their highest commitment to …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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WattTime: Energy Management to Reduce Emissions and Support Clean Energy Future
- WattTime (CA)
Every time any device in a building on any campus turns on, a single power plant must produces slightly more electricity to power it. But what kind of power plant? …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Ecological Restoration on a Liberal Arts Campus: On-site and Community Development
- Drew University (NJ)
Situated on a small suburban campus in Madison, New Jersey, in a densely populated region of the US, Drew University attracts students to come live in the 'forest,' while accessing …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Employing Urban Ecology in Grounds Management at New York University
- New York University (NY)
The emerging field of urban ecology has taken on a new urgency in recent years as most of the world's population now lives in cities where open spaces are fundamental …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Arbor Day Event Trains Environmental Stewards
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Since 2014, SOU's Landscape Services Dept has hosted an annual Arbor Day Celebration inviting local K-12 schools, members of the surrounding community, our own student body, faculty, staff, and admin …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainable Buildings: Utilizing BOMA BEST (Green Globes EB in Canada) to Enhance the Sustainable Operations of Your Campus
- University of Alberta (AB)
As part of The University of Alberta´s institutional Sustainability Plan we build all our new buildings to LEED or Green Globes standards. But as we operate and manage ± 200 …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Post Occupancy Evaluation for Landscapes
- Kirksey Architecture (TX)
Landscape design has the power to address multiple sustainability issues. These include providing shade, creating habitat, managing stormwater quality and quantity, minimizing light pollution, and providing usable outdoor spaces for …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Making the Case for the Living, Learning Lab & Quantifying Ecosystem Services: IU Bloomington's Tree Inventory
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
Indiana University Bloomington initiated a campus-wide geographic information systems tree inventory effort in the spring of 2015. The tree inventory data is housed through ArcGIS online and led primarily by …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Exploring LEED-EB: O+M for A Smarter, Healthier and More Efficient Campus: Lessons Learned at Portland State University
- Portland State University (OR)
- Green Building Services (OR)
Portland State University is working on multiple fronts to institutionalize sustainable operations and support the campus goal of carbon neutrality by 2040. In 2015, PSU became a founding signatory of …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Green Roof Strategies for Success: Making It Work Beyond the First Year
- New York University (NY)
Green roof failures are all too common, often leading to expensive replacement plantings, unmet aesthetic expectations, and invasive plant problems. In the fall of 2011, a 3,700 square foot un-irrigated …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Breaking Barriers to Innovation: The Sustainable Gardening Library
- Sustainable Gardening Institute (NJ)
Meet the creators of the Sustainable Gardening Library, a centralized, easy-to-use repository for science-based information on sustainable gardening and farming that's built on state-of-the-art, user-friendly, device-responsive GIS mapping technology. It's …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Growing the Campus Landscape and Student Botanists Through Community Partnerships
- Furman University (SC)
This poster will tell the multi-faceted story of how Furman University has leveraged longstanding partnerships with two local horticultural organizations to benefit both student learning and the award-winning campus landscape. …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Moving Towards Environmentally Responsible Landscaping on Campus
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
SOU works earnestly to foster sustainability advancement in our region. Likewise, our Landscape Services Dept is deeply committed to minimizing negative impacts on our campus and surrounding ecosystems. Our landscaping …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainability & Botanical Tours: Educating our Communities
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
SOU's Landscape Services collaborated with students, faculty, and staff across campus to develop signed Sustainability and Botanical Tours to educate our regional community about SOU's myriad of sustainability programs and …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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New Approaches to High Performance Low Maintenance Urban Campus Landscapes
- New York University (NY)
Budget and site constraints present a variety of challenges for the design, installation, and maintenance of urban landscapes. New approaches to planting design seek to reduce long term maintenance costs …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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UA Campus Garage Rain Water Harvesting Project
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona Community Garden was started by a group of students in 2011. As of today, the community garden is being used to its full potential. Every plot …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Using a High Tunnel to Extend the Growing Season and Engage the Whole Campus With the Campus Garden
- Concordia College (NY)
Six years ago, students championed the creation of a small organic garden on Concordia College's urban campus in northern Minnesota. Although the garden was successful in attracting student interest and …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Sticky Sustainability: Tapping Untapped Resources on Campus #ULMapleMadness
- University of Louisville (KY)
In spring 2016, a maple sugaring community partner collaborated with faculty, staff & students at the University of Louisville to launch a new Sustainable Community Engagement section of the Intro. …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Edinboro University Green Initiatives
- Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (PA)
In the past decade Edinboro University has made sustainability a hallmark of its facilities management. This poster summarizes EU's projects including a solar array, use of passive solar architecture for …
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 9: Landscape Management
- Percent of grounds managed organically
- Description of the organic landscape management program
- Percent of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program
- Description of the IPM program
- Website URL - Sustainable landscaping
OP 10: Biodiversity
- Description of legally protected areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and regions of conservation importance
- List of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution
- Description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution
- Website URL - Biodiversity initiatives
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.