Sustainability and Stewardship
Quinnipiac is recognized as a pollinator-friendly campus affiliate by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation for its commitment to attracting and sustaining pollinators. The university has joined many other cities and campuses across the country united in improving landscape and environment for pollinators.
Quinnipiac achieved affiliate status by forming a committee of students and faculty with a mission to provide a more productive, stable and diverse ecosystem. Eight garden beds were installed at the Albert Schweitzer Institute with more than 200 varieties of native plants. Also, the new implementation of South Quad will have three new buildings with mixed-species ecosystems to ensure a more dynamic environment for campus life. The addition of these gardens provides an academic element for professors to teach students about different types of pollinators, climate change and projects teaching students how to plant native and remove invasive species.
Pollinators like bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and many others are responsible for the reproduction of almost 90% of the world's flowering plant species and one in every three bites of food we consume.
Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, with offices across the country. Bee City USA’s mission is to galvanize communities and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats, rich in a variety of native plants, and free of pesticides.
To achieve affiliate status, the university accomplished the following:
There are many ways to become involved in sustainability initiatives at Quinnipiac. Students can participate in sustainable activities to promote stewardship around campus such as The Big Event, pollinator garden planting days and Arbor Day activities. We also offer a number of outdoor exercise classes, leisure and wellness courses, and outdoor trips sponsored through the Recreation and Wellness Center. Students are also encouraged to join a student organization dedicated to sustainability, or live in the Natural and Environmental Sciences Living-Learning Community.
We envision a Quinnipiac that is a model for sustainability in Southern New England, building its practices and leveraging its campuses to promote a healthy regional ecosystem, and to engage in practices that equip current and future students, faculty and staff to embody sustainable practices in their personal and professional lives, equipping them to thrive in a world increasingly influenced and affected by environmental disruption.
Students for Environmental Action (SEA) is a club committed to promoting environmental stewardship at Quinnipiac and in the broader community. Past events include World Environment Health Day and fundraising for the Coral Sea Alliance. If you are interested in participating in sustainability initiatives around campus with a group of like-minded environmentalists, consider joining SEA.
The Albert Schweitzer Institute conducts programs that link education, ethics and voluntarism for the sake of creating a more peaceful and sustainable world. A dynamic presence at Quinnipiac, the institute has drawn notable humanitarians both to campus and to its board, and gives students of all majors opportunities to make a positive impact on local and global communities.
We'd love to hear your feedback or suggestions. Contact us at qusustainability@qu.edu
