This fall, UW–Madison is launching an organic landscape management pilot project that will transition four prominent campus areas—Library Mall, Henry Mall, Ogg Residence Hall, and the Divine Nine Plaza—to organic landscaping methods. Over the next three years, students, Grounds, and faculty experts will work together to test and refine the management process, with the goal of developing a model that can be scaled across campus.
UW–Madison’s green spaces play a central role in campus life, offering areas for social interaction and recreation. Turfgrass lends these sites the durability they need to withstand heavy foot traffic and campus events. However, conventional maintenance methods often rely on synthetic chemicals, which can have negative impacts on the environment and human health.
The organic landscape management pilot project aims to address these potential impacts by phasing out synthetic herbicides and fertilizers. Rather than addressing issues from the surface down, the project focuses on building healthy soils from the ground up using organic, site-specific solutions such as compost, corn gluten meal, and mechanical pest management techniques. This transition is expected to improve soil aeration and nutrient levels, enhance disease resistance, and reduce water usage while preserving the beauty and functionality of these key campus areas.
“There is a misconception that organically managed lawns look unappealing and are expensive,” said Emily Valentine, one of the student project leaders. “This is actually not the case. It is really a win-win for both people and all the microorganisms, insects, and other small animals we share the world with.”
The project began when students joined forces with Re:wild Your Campus (RYC), a national organization that helps colleges and universities reduce their chemical use. Undergraduates Maša Bexbradica, Elizabeth Wix, Hannah Stahmann, and Emily Valentine collaborated with RYC to submit a Green Fund proposal to start a pilot project on campus. With the support of the Green Fund, they developed their project alongside key campus partners, including the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Fraternity & Sorority Life, University Housing, and the Division of Facilities Planning & Management’s Grounds and Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture teams.
Project implementation will be led by FP&M Building and Grounds Supervisor Robert Scott, in collaboration with UW–Madison turfgrass specialists Drs. Paul Koch and Doug Soldat. The team will work with students to collect soil samples from the pilot areas, which will be analyzed at UW–Madison’s Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab—one of a few labs in the country dedicated solely to turfgrass science. Based on the lab results, Koch and Soldat will develop tailored recommendations that incorporate organic practices like aeration, overseeding, and compost topdressing. Grounds staff will then implement those plans and compare their effectiveness with traditional management methods using control plots.
“I think that the prominence of these locations will influence public perception [of organic landscape management] positively,” Stahman said. “I also hope that this pilot program will increase awareness of the hard work that our Grounds team puts in to create a safe and beautiful environment for all who use it.”
The organic landscape management pilot is part of an ongoing strategy by the Grounds team to reduce pesticide use and increase native plantings on campus. It provides the opportunity to test and refine organic management strategies, strengthen connections between Grounds staff and faculty experts, and build capacity for future campus-wide implementations. It also reflects a growing movement among colleges and universities to reduce or eliminate synthetic inputs.
As the pilot progresses, it will contribute to UW–Madison’s broader sustainability goals, including evaluating Green Grounds Certification, maintaining Bee Campus USA Certification, and enhancing the university’s STARS (Sustainable Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) rating.
Beyond campus, the project could serve as a model for other institutions looking to adopt similar organic practices, encouraging incremental shifts toward healthier ecosystems and nurturing the public spaces that bring our communities together. At UW–Madison, the initiative promises cascading benefits: a healthier work environment for the Grounds team, new place-based education and research opportunities for students, and positive impacts on the local environment.
“UW–Madison is a top university,” said Valentine. “Other universities look to us—and it’s a big deal being able to launch such a monumental step forward.”
By: Lauren Graves