Students at The College of New Jersey came together to garden and grow native plants on campus, according to an article published by NPR in May.
After clearing all the weeds, the students planted 70 species of native plants, helping to restore the campus to its natural environmental state.
To spread climate awareness and teach students practical solutions, professor Miriam Shakow teaches the importance of biodiversity and encourages her students to find climate challenges they can solve.
"I just realized it was so important that students both know about and know how to address climate change and equally important, the real sharp decline in biodiversity around the world," Shakow told NPR.
Across the U.S., college campuses are notorious for having overly manicured landscaping and grass lawns, which require upkeep from gas-powered lawn equipment. As professors and students spread climate awareness, however, universities are starting to rewild their campuses.
Rewilding is the process of restoring land back to its natural state by planting pollinator-friendly native plants. You can also rewild an outdoor space by creating a wildlife shelter — such as a bat house, following this National Wildlife Federation guide — or adding a bird bath to encourage local biodiversity.
When you rewild your yard, you also save time and money on lawn maintenance. With native plants in your lawn, you can save on water, fertilizer, and pesticides and weed control each year.
One Environmental Protection Agency report has said: "The combined costs of installation and maintenance for natural landscape over a 10-year period may be one-fifth of the costs for conventional landscape maintenance."
Students at TCNJ collaborated with the college's grounds staff to establish areas on campus for their gardens. One of the students' main goals for their gardens was to ensure the plots of land would attract key pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.
"For the students who are already thinking about planting native plants, it can be really rewarding for them and feeling that they can make a change little by little," Shakow told NPR.
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