by Brianna Crandall — September 2, 2013—The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation, has released a new guide, downloadable from the organization’s Web site, covering how to promote sustainable landscapes on college campuses. Promoting Sustainable Campus Landscapes offers guidance on engaging others, providing training, publicizing projects, identifying benefits and gaining recognition for sustainable campus landscape initiatives.
The publication is intended for a diverse audience including students, grounds/landscape staff, campus landscape architects, campus facilities management, sustainability officers, and campus environmental or sustainability committees. This audience includes both non-technical and technical individuals — anyone on campus interested in developing/delivering landscape programs to the public and who might stand to benefit from guidance on communications, events, and engaging others.
Judy Walton, former AASHE chief publications officer, and Mary Sweeney, program manager at the Arbor Day Foundation, are the guide’s principal authors. “We timed the release of the guide just prior to students returning to campus to encourage campus staff and students to use the guide to help them plan ahead for their fall sustainability activities in order to incorporate sustainable landscapes throughout the year,” says Sweeney.
Toyota, the partner of the Arbor Day Foundation in the creation and sponsorship of the Tree Campus USA program, sponsored this publication.
AASHE released advance reviews from landscaping professionals, such as the one below, expressing high praise for the publication:
The guide will be instrumental in continuing to build the nationwide momentum of sustainable landscape management. It is important to recognize that an institution’s landscape is its welcome mat and therefore should illustrate the institution’s commitment to sustainability. Additionally, implementing sustainable landscape practices can be a cost-effective way to gain important points toward various certification initiatives. This manual will bring these issues into clearer view for administrators, academics and active students.
— Bill Sprengnether, Principal, Cardinal Direction Landscape Architecture
