Does Penn State have a policy to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems associated with the university, in particular forests, mountains and drylands?

Penn State has Guiding Principles on sustainable land management and conservation practices to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems associated with the university, in particular forests, mountains and drylands. These are described in the Campus Planning and Sustainable Campus sections of the Guiding Principles document. This links directly to the Penn State LEED policy that details information on environmental conservation and site assessments including restoring natural habitats.

Environmental resources are mapped in the Campus Master Plan.

Penn State’s University Park campus has been a certified Bee Campus through the Xerces Society since 2018. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. A science-based organization, they conduct research and rely on the most up-to-date information to guide conservation work. Their key program areas are pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts.

The Penn State Erie, the Behrend College has been a recognized Tree Campus since 2014 by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. Over the past 50-plus years, the Foundation and its network has planted more than half a billion trees, primarily in areas where trees can have the greatest impact on climate, communities, and biodiversity.

Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center was awarded Tree Campus Healthcare designation by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2023, one of 35 inpatient health care facilities nationwide to earn recognition.

Penn State has partnered with the Clearwater Conservancy, a non-profit organization that aims to conserve and restore the natural resources in central Pennsylvania, to conserve a piece of property in Penn State’s boundary known as Musser Gap.

Learn more about Penn State’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals HERE and on SDG15 HERE.

Tyler Mankey2025-11-05T11:58:41-05:00November 1, 2022|

@sustainpsu

Does Penn State have a policy to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems associated with the university, in particular forests, mountains and drylands?

Does Penn State have a policy to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems associated with the university, in particular forests, mountains and drylands?