Landscaping
Chicago is known as the “City in a Garden” so it is fitting that the campus that bears its name is, itself, a certified botanic garden. As such, the University of Chicago is committed to maintaining the natural beauty of its campus with sustainable practices that seek to minimize use of pesticides, fertilizer, fossil fuels, and supplied water. These initiatives include:
- Maintaining a native plants garden at the corner of 58th Street and Woodlawn Avenue
- Working with local vendors to purchase mulch from recycled trees
- Replacing synthetic fertilizer with compost and compost teas to improve water quality
- Utilizing Integrated Pest Management, an environmentally sensitive approach to pest control with minimal pesticides
- Hiring a local contractor to compost 95% of our green waste (leaves and grass)
- Limiting use of leaf blowers, which must meet EPA standards for emissions
- Investigating greener equipment to reduce gas-powered motors on campus
- Applying Eco Salt (beet salt) to icy sidewalks and entryways in winter
- Inventorying and mapping all campus trees
