Sustainability in Action

The Arboretum supports the sustainable efforts of the University of Maryland and its six goals to reach carbon neutrality. Read more here: https://sustainingprogress.umd.edu/progress-commitments/sustainability-council-goals

"Our global fight against the climate crisis is far from over. The University of Maryland will accelerate its goal to become a net carbon-neutral campus by 2025. It is my hope that these measures will help inspire every one of us to commit to the reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions for our planet and for our people. " -President Darryll J. Pines

Tree Canopy Management

Our tree canopy and its benefits to both the campus community and the local ecosystem are of primary importance to us when it comes to both current maintenance and future planning. We strive to meet a number of benchmarks with regards to our canopy cover. These are listed in the University’s Climate Action Plan (link):

•  40% canopy cover is considered our minimum standard to meet. We consistently analyze canopy cover each year to get a sense of what the percentage is. As areas of campus require renewal or new construction, we plan additional plantings or protections to offset the work. Along with this, we look at enhancements that can occur in the campus core.
•  100 new trees will be planted each year. This means that we not only replant to offset any tree removal but also that our inventory will grow by a minimum of 100 trees each year.

We view our canopy cover just as important as other campus infrastructure, and work to maintain safety and reliability while also meeting our climate action goals and creating beauty in the landscape. To that end, we take part in all phases of capital projects to ensure that tree impacts are considered, tree protection occurs, utility conflicts are resolved, and our teaching collection of specimens is readily accessible.

We benefit from our partnerships with the UMD Extension, researchers, faculty and staff such as the Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, and outside NGO’s. Our staff rely on GIS planning tools, up-to-date tree care standards, and the Tree Radar Unit to do the best we can for our trees.

Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat Gardens

Our native plant gardens offer a glimpse of the diversity and beauty of plants naturally adapted to our local climate and soils.  While there are several garden areas on campus that are dedicated solely to native plants, there are native plants all around us, including our trees. Our garden areas, as well as our tree canopy, are a blend of native and non-invasive exotics in order to provide a wide range of plants for visitors to enjoy. Moreover, our campus arboretum & botanical gardens support our students' classroom education and we work to provide a comprehensive teaching collection, in addition to supporting the wildlife in our area. 

The arboretum and botanical garden is an invaluable resource for Maryland's flagship campus. The native plant gardens are used to document, understand and teach about current and regionally important forces of nature and our impact on the environment. The gardens also serve to increase public environmental literacy for a sustainable future. For example, the plants in our native plant gardens are sourced from respected local growers or grown from seeds collected and saved on campus. The seeds provide a "bank" of locally valuable Maryland plant species and wildflowers. The flowers you see will produce seeds to be sown to restore our native plant populations. Our newest buildings on campus support native plant gardens with enhanced landscapes, such as Edward St. John Learning & Teaching Center and the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering. While these landscapes are far more labor intensive than having a turf lawn, the effort supports our campus goals of sustainability and these plants are locally adapted to provide food and shelter for wildlife such as migratory birds, insect pollinators, frogs and turtles.

Stormwater Management on Campus

Stormwater management is the effort to mitigate the impact of rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as parking lots, streets, and lawns. Rainwater and snowmelt runoff can carry harmful pollutants and nutrients that end up in our waterways decreasing water quality and biodiversity. College Park is located in the Anacostia Watershed and our stormwater discharges into three tributaries. In order to reduce adverse impacts we instill Best Management Practices (BMPs) on campus which are practices that are most effective & efficient in reducing pollution from nonpoint sources. At the University of Maryland, our goals are to meet all stormwater regulations and permits, identify future improvement opportunities, and research ways we can reuse stormwater as means to cut down consumption of potable water. 

UMD has obtained three stormwater permits as means to regulate runoff. The first permit is the Individual Industrial Permit which authorizes the discharge of wastewater through a separate storm drain system. The 20-SW permit regulates stormwater management in six different locations on campus. Lastly, the NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II General Permit covers the discharge of all stormwater runoff which flows into our campus drain system. 

These three permits require UMD to meet specific requirements and employ Best Management Practices. Strategies utilized include regular site inspections and sampling the 13 permitted sources to ensure pollutants are below maximum levels. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination is also employed to identify and modify unallowable discharges. There are over 100 stormwater control facilities that are inspected and maintained on campus. We are also currently performing GIS mapping to further pinpoint impermeable areas and identify possible future stormwater projects.

Many stormwater management strategies have already been implemented on campus, such as the Guilford Run Bioretention Facility. Green roofs absorb rainwater on rooftops reducing the amount of runoff and impermeable surfaces on campus at seven locations including ESJ and the Physical Complex Building. Porous pavements allow for the penetration of water through the ground which reduces runoff at five locations on campus. Rain gardens, also known as bioretention cells, are engineered with plants to collect, hold, and clean rainwater that runs off of impervious surfaces. Some rain gardens are known as Low Impact Development projects which filter runoff before the polluted stormwater can enter the Campus Creek. UMD also participates in rainwater harvesting which redirects runoff to be used for other purposes. In Washington Quad, rainwater harvesting directs the water into a drip irrigation system which aids in watering nearby plants. UMD has also restored Campus Creek. Stormwater runoff was mitigated by planting native species, creating step pools to slow runoff, and creating floodplains which draw in more native plants and animals. UMD’s future project includes the creation of the Agroecology Corridor which would encourage students and faculty to have important conversations surrounding environmental issues.