Tree Campus Higher Education
Since the inaugural year of the arboretum in 2008, the University has been honored by the Arbor Day Foundation with the designation of Tree Campus USA, now called Tree Campus Higher Education – one of just 25 campuses to do so.
Bee Campus USA
In the spring of 2023, the University of Maryland's campus was designated as a Bee Campus USA, recognizing the work of many different campus partners to promote the health of pollinators in our local area. These partners include, but are not limited to:
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UMD Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
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UMD Entomology Department
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UMD Bee Lab, EspindoLab, Lamp Lab, Bug Camp, Others
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Get Involved
There are many ways to support our campus arboretum. We regularly rely on volunteer groups and individuals to care for our pollinator habitat, campus food gardens, enhanced landscapes, rain gardens, and reforestation projects.
We offer internship for credit and partner with academic departments to provide a rich learning experience for students, both graduate and undergraduate.
UMD Arboretum Reports 5,927 Volunteer Hours in 2022
Each semester, many hundreds of UMD students and community members volunteer their time to support the UMD Arboretum by performing weeding, mulching, planting, and litter cleanup. In 2022, the Arboretum recorded 5,927 volunteer hours at a record value of $178,861*.
FM Completes the Transition to Electric Leaf Blowers
Facilities Management’s (FM) Landscape Maintenance team has accomplished the long-awaited switch from gasoline-powered to electric leaf blowers. Completing a transition that began in 2018, FM eliminated the last of the gasoline-powered equipment at the start of this year. Outside contractors are also required to use electric blowers when working on the UMD campus.
Magnolias in our Midst
Our campus has many different types and species of magnolias in bloom each spring. If you have magnolias at home, our friends at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has a good article on their care and use.
Bees Without Borders
Along a busy stretch of Adelphi Road just south of the University of Maryland sits an unremarkable field, its dormant scrub offering little trace of the six-month, nectar-fueled rager it hosted last year. But by June, the sea of muted brown will again give way to a riot of black-eyed Susans, golden Alexanders and crimson beardtongues—a floral feast for the eyes, and for the bellies of bees, butterflies and other frequent fliers roaming the region.
Campus Pollinator Conservation Effort Seeks ‘Bee Campus USA’ Designation
The University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanical Garden is excited to announce a new collaborative effort on campus, seeking to earn the distinction of ‘Bee Campus USA’ for the University of Maryland. This effort is led by PollinaTerps, a collective group of University of Maryland students, staff, and faculty, including entomological, horticultural, and sustainability professionals.
UMD Sparks Partnership With Pepco on Green Projects
An overgrown alleyway blooms into an oasis for walkers and cyclists, city parks shed creeping invasive species and solar lighting illuminates neighborhood pathways. These are among the 11 projects set to receive a portion of $125,000 from Pepco and the University of Maryland’s Sustainable Maryland program as part of the Sustainable Communities Grant Program, a new partnership between the D.C.-area utility and UMD’s statewide “greening program” to advance local sustainability projects.
Employee Spotlight: Joseph Cook, Jr.
Joe Cook With Large Willow Oak on McKeldin Mall, 11.17.22 Photo by Sam Bahr