Electric or Gas Leaf Blowers…Neither?

As we transition into autumn, leaves will soon begin to fall and scatter throughout lawns and streets. How will you manage your leaves this fall? Selecting the right equipment and strategies can minimize environmental impact.

Virtual Campus Sustainability Tour Includes Award-Winning East End Project

At a time when virtual experiences must often replace in-person ones, we are pleased to announce significant updates to the virtual Danforth Campus Sustainability Tour that was unveiled a couple years ago.  The interactive GIS map-based tour now features 24 stops, starting with the new grand entrance to the Danforth Campus, the award-winning East End […]

Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence in Caring for our Campus Trees

Since 2010, WashU has proudly carried the recognition of “Tree Campus USA” for its commitment to promote healthy trees and generate excitement for the campus canopy. Trees provide a number of invaluable services, including sequestering carbon from the air, reducing the urban heat island effect, providing habitat for native species and food for pollinators, and, […]

GDA-Certified Whittemore House Upgrades with a Vegetable Garden

In late 2017, the Whittemore House earned certification with the Green Dining Alliance, receiving a 5-star award for its “exemplary understanding and performance of sustainable practices.” In addition to recognizing restaurants for their sustainability efforts, the Green Dining Alliance (GDA) encourages and facilitates steady progress toward low-impact practices and efficient use of resources. Audits are conducted […]

Native Planting at Greenway Apartments Enhances Natural Habitats

Last fall, the landscape surrounding the WashU-owned Greenway Apartments was not looking too great. Vast openings of mulch was the only thing left after the decline and removal of most ornamental plants, most likely due to the maturing maple trees shading out the sun-loving plants underneath. Witnessing this degradation, the WashU ResLife and Facilities departments […]

Join the Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee

The Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee is recruiting; a great volunteer service opportunity for WashU students who love our campus trees. Context Since 2010, WashU is certified Tree Campus USA in recognition to its commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for our planet’s tree resources. Tree Campus USA is an initiative through […]

The Restorative Power of Ginkgo Leaves

Hannah Richter is a lover of trees. She is also the author of an op-ed about keeping the fallen gingko leaves on our campus grounds. This golden carpet, as she writes, “provides the students of this university with joy, with rapture, and with a moment of pause in the daily torrent of academic work.” Focal […]

New Resources Unveiled to Honor Danforth Campus Trees

Fall is officially here, and what better way to celebrate than with events and resources that honor and acknowledge WashU’s magnificent trees? This fall, WashU is pleased to unveil trees.wustl.edu, a new website that catalogs and highlights trees of merit across the Danforth campus. The website will continue to grow as additional trees are selected […]

Turning Over a New Leaf: Leaf Blowers and Lawn Mowers

As we transition into autumn, leaves will soon begin to fall and scatter throughout lawns and streets. How will you manage your leaves this fall? Selecting the right equipment and strategies can minimize environmental impact. Lawn Care Equipment Can Emit Toxic Gases Gas powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers are more detrimental than you would […]

Summer Blooms in Hope Plaza

If you haven’t walked through Hope Plaza recently, now is the time! The native garden beds are currently sporting their summer best with a variety of bold and subtle floral displays. The WUSM landscape design and maintenance crew focuses on planting native plants where possible because of the reduced irrigation needs and the benefits to […]

Rediscover the Danforth Campus Through a Sustainability Lens

With input from a variety of campus collaborators, the Office of Sustainability is releasing an interactive, multimedia, GIS map-based Sustainability Tour of Washington University’s Danforth Campus. The tour features eighteen locations that showcase WashU’s efforts to transform our historic campus into a truly sustainable campus. These locations make up a small sample of the variety of ways by which WashU is fully committed to […]

Irene Compadre, Landscape Architect

L. Irene Compadre graduated two times from WashU: in 2008, with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture that she completed after studying a combination of architecture and sculpture, and in 2012, with a Master of Landscape Architecture. Today, in addition to working as an adjunct faculty at the Sam Fox School of Visual Arts, she is the founding principal of Arbolope Studio […]

Danforth Designated as a Tree Campus USA 2016

Washington University in St. Louis is proud to announce that it has recently been re-certified as a “Tree Campus USA” for its commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for our planet’s tree resources. Tree Campus USA is an initiative through the Arbor Day Foundation that has recognized 333 other universities for their […]

Campus Tree Planting Planned for Late Fall

In an effort to increase the canopy on Washington University’s School of Medicine campus, a fall tree and shrub planting project is planned for early December. Various locations on campus have been identified as sites that will receive a combination of shade trees, ornamental trees, and large shrubs. Some of these locations will be included […]

Tree Planting Enhances Forsyth Landscape Project

On November 3, a group of WashU students and staff joined representatives from Bon Appetit, Top Care, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, and Sleeve A Message for the third annual tree planting event on the Danforth Campus. Participants planted, watered, and mulched 59 trees. The species included Paw Paw, Eastern Wahoo, Vernal Witchhazel, and Post Oak, all of which are native to […]

Detention Basin Performs During Heavy Rain Events

Nearly a year ago, at the corner of Scott and Taylor Avenues, a detention basin was constructed as part of the landscaping associated with the newly constructed 4515 McKinley Research Building. Since then, the St. Louis area has received periods of heavy rain including a couple of record-setting events. Detention basins are a low-lying area designed to […]