St. Edward’s University Awarded Green Grounds Gold Level Certification for Environmental Efforts
AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University is proud to announce it has received Green Grounds Gold Level Certification from Re:wild Your Campus, and is the first university in Texas to earn recognition for campus-wide sustainability efforts from the environmental nonprofit.
St. Edward’s was awarded the historic certification for eliminating the use of toxic pesticides on over 90 percent of campus grounds, increasing organic land care, replacing fossil fuel-powered maintenance equipment with electric ones, promoting soil health and fostering biodiversity across the university.
“This certification is a testament to our commitment toward maintaining beautiful green spaces across campus while implementing sustainable best practices,” said Jim Morris, Associate Vice President of University Operations at St. Edward's University. “We are proud to create a safe and healthy environment for Hilltoppers, community members and even wildlife to enjoy for years to come.”
This milestone recognition began as a student-led initiative to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and ensure campus grounds reflect the university’s values of sustainability and care.
Last year, Katie Gay ‘24, an Environmental Science and Policy major, attended the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability Summit and connected with Mackenzie Feldman, Co-Director of Re:wild Your Campus. From there, Veronica Chavez ‘27, an Environmental Biology and Climate Change major and Natural Resources Intern, worked with the nonprofit and St. Edward’s University Arborist Roy Johnson to document campus sustainability practices in order to obtain the Green Grounds Certification.
“We created the Green Grounds Certification to incentivize schools to protect both the workers and student populations and highlight their commitment to biodiversity, proving that managing grounds without chemicals is practical and achievable,” said Mackenzie Feldman, Co-Director of Re:wild Your Campus. “We are working with schools across the nation to close the knowledge gap that exists when it comes to organic land care principles and implementation. This certification will help us recognize the work being done on these campuses and beyond to ditch the toxins and go organic.”
In April 2025, Feldman, Johnson, Gay and Chavez joined Amy Concilio, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, and Steven Fletcher, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy and Secondary Education, at the 11th Annual Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability Summit to discuss the importance of maintaining an environmentally-friendly university.
In addition to earning the Green Grounds Gold Level Certification, St. Edward’s University has continuously been recognized as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the state from multiple publications. Furthermore, the university has achieved numerous accolades for its sustainability efforts and green spaces:
- 2024 Tree Campus recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation (10th consecutive year)
- 2023 Austin Tree of the Year (Unique Tree) for the St. Joseph Hill Twisted Oak
- 2022 Austin Tree of the Year (Large Tree) for the Sorin Oak
About St. Edward’s University
St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,000 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 50 undergraduate, seven master’s degree programs and a doctorate program. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 22 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2025 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s ranked #5 in the Best Regional Universities in the West. The American Council on Education and Carnegie Foundation designated St. Edward’s research university status in 2025.
About Re:wild Your Campus
Founded by a group of passionate students, Re:wild Your Campus is transforming the land care paradigm and is on a mission to eliminate synthetic pesticides from all college campuses in the U.S. by 2030. Through working closely with campus administrators, groundskeepers, students, faculty, and local organizations, Re:wild Your Campus eliminates synthetic pesticides, implements organic land care, and increases biodiversity and native plants through education and projects tailored to each campus's unique needs and goals. Re:wild Your Campus is a fiscally sponsored project of Re:wild. Learn more at: rewildyourcampus.org/
