University of Minnesota, Duluth
IN-26: Innovation C

Three students pioneered the passing of an operational policy that protects the UMD campus's pollinators in perpetuity. Referred to colloquially as "The Pollinator Pledge", this one-page document is now official policy that promises to maintain a pollinator-friendly campus, guides campus use of pesticides, and makes explicit the continued effort to plant native plants and/or non-native/non-invasive plants that are pollinator attractors. The UMD campus covers immense green space, which provides a huge opportunity to be a pollinator ally. Our campus Grounds Manager, Shane Peterson, was already overseeing the grounds in a pollinator-friendly way, as well as working to reduce sod and increase native plantings. The students, however, saw the delicate nature of that ethic being tied directly to Shane as a person. If he were to leave, would UMD's pollinator friendly grounds be maintained in the same way by whoever comes next? They did not want to leave this to chance. Which began them on the long journey of establishing an administrative policy that will exist long after they (and Shane) are gone from UMD. The process entailed proposing a resolution through Student Association, getting said resolution passed through Student Association, and then submitting it to the higher level administration to make into campus policy. It was a long process, with the official policy being published in December 2017. With a year and a half of official policy on the books, the campus has not seen any drastic changes -- as our Grounds Manager was already operating within this framework. However, the bigger task of education the campus body and public visitors about our unique landscaping is now upon us. Working with grounds, admissions, and several other partners, the campus will embark upon the task of making our pollinator-friendly campus much better understood and not just seen as that "wild" area by building x, y, or z.