Cornell’s Commitment to Sustainability
Cornell’s commitment to sustainability is put into action by the President’s Sustainable Campus Committee (PSCC), which works to promote a culture of sustainability on campus through effective collaborations among staff, students, faculty, and regional partners.
Year after year, Cornell receives recognition for these efforts from several ranking systems, including the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS)—a self-reporting tool colleges and universities use to measure progress. Cornell Botanic Gardens protects and manages natural areas of high conservation importance, protects endangered and vulnerable species, and practices Integrated Pest Management —all greatly contributing towards Cornell earning “gold” status.
Cornell University was also ranked #20 of 268 universities by the Sierra Club for its commitment to sustainability.
Sustainable Landscapes Trail
Cornell’s “Sustainable Landscapes Trail” highlights sustainable design, green infrastructure, and landscape sustainability practices across Cornell campus. Many of the stops along the trail can be found at Cornell Botanic Gardens, these include biodiversity in our natural areas, our native lawn, climate change garden, bioswale garden, Nevin Welcome Center green roof, deer management efforts, and our integrated pest management program.
Follow the Sustainable Landscapes Trail on your mobile device using the free app “Pocketsights Tour Guide.”
Additional Cornell Partnerships
Soil and Crop Science professor Johannes Lehmann partnered with our horticulture staff to test the effectiveness of biochar to increase soil health.
View more research projects at Cornell Botanic Gardens
Ithaca Community Partnerships
Cornell Botanic Gardens collaborates with local community organizations to share their expertise on best practices for sustainable landscape management.
- Staff are members of the Parks and Trails Network and the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force to champion the conservation and use of trails as alternative transportation routes.
- Cornell Botanic Gardens staff serve on the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board and have successfully promoted sound land stewardship practices applied at Cornell Botanic Gardens to community leaders.