LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2024) — Through a partnership with UK Grounds in Facilities Management and the Lewis Honors College, honors students recently transformed the space between the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College and The 90 into a pollinator garden, replacing non-native grasses and shrubs with vibrant native species.
On Sept. 17, the University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management arboriculture team joined more than 40 volunteers from across the region in a day of service called Saluting Branches. The program brings together tree care professionals who donate their time and expertise to care for trees and landscapes at properties serving veterans across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Through a partnership with UK Grounds and the Lewis Honors College, students in this fall’s honors course titled “The Lexington Ecosystem” (HON 301) will take the lead in preparing and planting the pollinator garden, which was designed by students in last spring’s “Urban Restoration Ecology” course, taught by Senior Lewis Lecturer Kenton Sena, Ph.D.
From logistics to labor, signage to sustainability, and everything in between, the Facilities Management team made a lasting first impression for thousands of Wildcats and their families.
As spring takes hold across the Bluegrass, the University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management division has been hard at work preparing campus for a season of renewal and transformation.
The spirit of sustainability was alive and well on campus as part of the University of Kentucky community rolled up their sleeves to plant trees and contribute to a greener future. For the second year in a row, students from Lewis Honors College, along with the UK Grounds arboriculture team in Facilities Management, joined forces to plant trees along Alumni Drive.
The University of Kentucky is turning food waste into a high value soil amendment with its newly launched composting system — an innovative, on-campus facility designed to expand composting operations and support UK’s commitment to becoming a zero-waste campus by 2030.