University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
OP-10: Landscape Management

UWM does not have an IPM plan; however, for non-Field Station properties, the university has an Herbicides Guidelines and Procedures plan (copy above) that outlines best management practices for use in on-campus shrub and garden beds only (In keeping with the principles of Integrated Pest Management). The guidelines instruct the university staff to use herbicides in a safe, efficient, and effective manner that will minimize any negative consequences.

Natural Lawn Care: All 23+ acres on the Kenwood campus are regularly aerated, overseeded, and topped with compost.

Native plants are utilized and prioritized throughout the campus, including 4 campus prairies, 2 rain gardens, as well as in traditional bed plantings (many of which have been converted from annuals to native perennials). Many of the campus Field Station areas have been designated as State Natural Areas, thereby protecting vegetation for long-term conservation.

Grass trimmings are immediately returned back to the lawn as they mow. Grounds Services also saves all down trees and limbs and returns them to mulch for the grounds.

In 2014, UWM's Physical Environment Committee approved a change to natural lawn care and the elimination of chemical applications on campus lawns. Now, all 23 acres on the Kenwood campus are regularly aerated, overseeded, and topped with compost.

Natural Lawn Care uses 330 cu. yds. of locally-sourced compost each year to maintain grounds on the main Kenwood campus.

Green infrastructure in the form of rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs and cisterns seeks to maintain the integrity of the natural hydrology of the campus. Stormwater management is a high priority for campus and the City of Milwaukee. Projects are implemented as part of the "UWM as a Zero-Discharge Zone" stormwater masterplan for campus.

Snow and ice are yearly challenges at UW-Milwaukee. Good mechanical and manual snow removal is the first defense. Second, salt products and strategies were analyzed for reduced environmental impact, effectiveness, and interior impacts. Third, university staff were trained on the proper amount of salt application and the above strategies.

The Downer Woods Natural Area is an 11.1-acre fenced forest on the UWM campus, which became part of the UWM Field Station in the Spring of 1998. The UWM Field Station also manages over 400 acres of natural areas throughout southeastern Wisconsin. The field station-managed land includes designated State Natural areas such as the Cedarburg Bog and Sapa Spruce Bog as well as the Upland Habitats at the Field Station (part of a beech-maple forest that is classified as a National Natural Landmark by the Department of Interior), Downer Woods on the main Kenwood campus, Neda Mine (the largest bat hibernaculum in the Midwest, and Benedict Prairie (a virgin prairie).

An graduate urban planning intern within UWM's Office of Sustainability has laid the groundwork for UWM to be recognized as a Tree Campus USA program (submittal slated for Fall 2016). Area of managed grounds that is "Managed organically, third party certified and/or protected" only includes Main Campus lawns-23 acres (managed organically and herbicide free), the 11.35-acre Monarch Conservancy at Innovation Campus, and all Field Station Properties (459.7 acres). All Field Station properties were considered “protected,” both those with State Natural Area designation and those without, as they are actively managed and maintained by the Field Station (“effective management“ dedicated to achieving long-term conservation as defined by the credit).