A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities that submitted a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report in the most recent calendar year.
Julie Etterson demonstrates seed gathering protocol for the Project Baseline research project.
In the Index, UMD is listed among the top performers in the area of research. “Special thanks to Dr. Julie Etterson, head of the Biology Department, and Environmental Education graduate student Ashlyn Teather for their meticulous collection of sustainability research efforts, funding, and course data,” says Jonna Korpi | Sustainability Activities Coordinator.
UMD is also being highlighted for its Pollinator Pledge, a student-led resolution that supports pollinator-friendly practices and native plants in perpetuity, while halting the use of synthetic pesticides. Three students, now alumni, Rachel Hopwood, Michael Purtell, and Dave Herrera, pioneered the passing of a one-page policy that ensures the university continues its commitment to grounds stewardship and pollinator protection despite the turnover of students or staff that support this cause.
"Congratulations to the University of Minnesota Duluth for their incredible work in creating a more sustainable world," said AASHE's Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. "Through the leadership and action of change agents within UMD, I'm encouraged and hopeful that a just and equitable society will soon be realized."
UMD’s most recent STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.