How the Greenest Colleges in America Highlight their Efforts with Interactive Maps

From CampusBird Blog

Earth Day is a great time of year to reflect on what your school is doing to ‘go green.’ Perhaps there are a few LEED-certified buildings on campus, electric vehicle charging stations, or a solar farm. How accessible is your campus to bikers and those riding public transit?

Environmental consciousness is growing throughout the country, and students want to know that their school is taking charge. They increasingly want to see their college making jumps in sustainability wherever it can, and are responding to those that do.

CampusBird allows schools to highlight what (and where) eco-conscious efforts are being made on campus and what students can do to join in on the action. While there are a number of schools taking big environmental strides (hats off to California’s Butte College- the first in the US to become grid positive, meaning they produce more energy than they consume via 25,000 solar panels), these five schools do a masterful job of using our mapping platform to spell out current and future steps. We’re proud to recognize the sustainability accomplishments of these schools:

Colorado State University- Fort Collins, Colorado

CSU’s campus is home to multiple EV charging stations and LEED buildings, as well as a collection of solar powered buildings such as Braiden Solar Hall, with 392 panels. Their map points out campus-wide steps the school has taken to lower its carbon footprint. The campus, like the city that surrounds it, is one of the most bike-friendly in the country, and uses their map to show off the ample green space throughout the grounds.

Maryville College- Maryville, Tennessee

Maryville College uses CampusBird to offer a full sustainability tour. Visitors enjoy a 360-degree view of the school’s green initiatives, including the revolutionary Solar Doks- picnic tables scattered throughout the campus that featuring solar-powered lights and charging stations that are perfect for studying and networking.

The map highlights features such as the College Woods, a protect forest area home to walking trails, disc golf, and plenty of space for students and the college community to relax in beautiful natural surroundings.

Augustana College- Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana uses their map to highlight their ecological preserves in Rock Island. The Collinson Ecological Preserve is made up of forest and prairie land, while the Belling Ecological Preserve is a wetland preserve. Both can be found under the ‘Environmental Field Stations’ tab on the map.

Middlebury College- Middlebury, Vermont

Under the ‘Green Initiatives’ tab, Middlebury highlights special sustainability features such as the Bio Mass Gasification Plant and the Self-Reliance Solar Decathlon House, the school’s first entry into the exciting initiative challenging students to full-sized, solar-powered houses on campuses throughout the country.

University of Portland- Portland, Oregon

With a beautiful campus sitting alongside the Willamette River, the University of Portland reflects the eco-friendly vision of its host city by winning the Portland BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) Award for Shiley Hall, which was renovated in 2009 and is now LEED Platinum certified.

Arizona State University- Tempe, Arizona

ASU just might take the award for the most in-depth sustainability map on the CampusBird platform. This seems appropriate for a school offering a major in sustainability, extensive solar farms throughout the campus, and an in-depth ‘strategic plan for sustainability operations and practices.’ Examples of what their map highlights include solar powered facilities such as the John W. Schwada Classroom Office Building and the Gammage Parkway.

With all the buzz around renewable energy and eco-friendly development this Earth Day, there has never been a better time to put your green foot forward. CampusBird’s platform makes highlighting your school’s place in the movement easier than ever, and is a sure way to impress students and faculty, both current and prospective.