University of Maryland Visitors Guide - Flipbook - Page 51
C H O O S E YO U R T O U R :
Green Maryland
UMD is a living laboratory
for sustainability where
students, faculty and staff
contribute to greening
the campus and solving
the grand challenges of
our time. Over 26% of
academic courses include
sustainability as a theme.
Climate research informs
conversations from local
to international levels.
1
The university has achieved carbon
neutrality, and the campus is an arboretum
and botanical garden of global distinction
with 16,000 trees and plants. Campus
operation includes 9,000-plus solar
panels, retrofitted buildings with efficient
equipment, over 2 million square feet of
certified-green building space, sustainable
food procurement, and recycling and
compost collection in buildings.
UMD is the world’s first university to join
2
3
the Coolfood Pledge, a growing movement of
workplaces, hotels, hospitals and restaurants
reducing the climate impact of dining. Food
served in dining halls includes vegetables
grown at Terp Farm, a nearby UMD
agriculture research facility.
In 2022, Maryland earned a Gold rating
1 Biowall at McKeldin Library
About 1,000 plants freshen the view and air
3 Brendan Iribe Center for
Computer Science and Engineering
on the main library’s ground floor. The vertical
The first carbon-neutral building on campus, the
planting has eight species of greenery and
Iribe Center is certified under the International
uses just 20 to 30 gallons of water daily.
Green Construction Code. It touts two green
for sustainability from the Association for
roofs, energy-efficient lighting and sustainable
the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher
landscaping, including a bioswale and native
species.
Education for its dedication to environmental
and social leadership.
2 Farmers Market in Tawes Plaza
Learn more about our green efforts at
sustainability.umd.edu.
Offered for more than a decade, the farmers
market in Tawes Plaza opens at 11 a.m.
4 Community Learning Garden
Wednesdays in spring and fall and features
local vendors and cooking demonstrations.
Between the Eppley Recreation Center and the
School of Public Health Building, the garden
provides a living classroom that educates visitors
4
on the importance of environmental stewardship,
agricultural sustainability, physical activity and
balanced diets. All crops grown are provided to
the Campus Pantry.
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