More than 1,700 plant species and cultivars across campus provide a high level of ecological diversity that supports a wide range of pollinators and birds, promotes resiliency against drought and disease, and creates a space that will last for decades to come. The gardens change over time as different plants compete with or complement each other, but the overall aesthetic intent and ecological value persist.

When salt that’s used to melt ice on sidewalks and roads dissolves, it makes its way into surface water systems and into the groundwater supply. It takes only one teaspoon of salt to pollute five gallons of water to a level that’s toxic for freshwater ecosystems. ^[7] Since 2016, we’ve reduced salt use by 70%—even as campus has grown—while maintaining safe paths for walking and driving across campus.

Our horticulture team used more than 700 yards of leaves in 2023 from the city of Verona to make leaf mulch to spread on our landscape beds, adding organic matter back to the soil. We take soil samples every year to help us apply only the amount of fertilizer that’s needed for each area. To further decrease the amount of fertilizer needed, we leave grass clippings in place to act as natural mulch and have animals graze on our land to reduce the use of equipment. Keeping yard waste on site—letting it decompose and spreading it underneath the solar field—eliminates the need to ship it somewhere else, decreasing fuel usage.