Jacob Bechtold, Industrial Engineering major and IonE Student Staff
On a chilly morning in November, a team of volunteers led by Aaron Hanson, a researcher from the Institute on the Environment, spread pollinator-friendly seeds at West Bank’s solar array. Volunteers raked and dethatched the soil in the grassy area surrounding the array before planting the pollinator habitat. The University received the seeds from the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund.
Sarah Bauer, J.D. Candidate, University of Minnesota Law School
Briana Beck, O&M Project Supervisor | Energy Division MNL, (center) discusses proper seed spreading technique
In addition to the planting, a second crew installed soil moisture monitoring equipment beneath the solar panels. Volunteers dug post holes and set up equipment in an effort to measure the co-benefits of mitigating stormwater runoff. The deep-rooted nature of the new plants will break up the soil and increase infiltration to help keep soil in place during heavy rainfall, preventing it from producing runoff into the river. The moisture monitoring probes are placed at both 6 inches and 12 inches deep in the full sun, as well as under the solar panels’ drip edges where concentrated runoff will occur. The ground underneath the array will also be monitored where rainfall does not directly reach.
Aaron Hanson and Bradley Luchsinger, Philosophy major and IonE Undergraduate Leaders Program Alumni install soil moisture monitoring equipment
Data will be collected for years to come as part of the Living Lab program, becoming measurable as the pollinator habitat becomes established and as the root depths increase. Although this is the only equipment being installed for the time being, other research activities around the West Bank solar array include site observation, such as looking for bees and butterflies and an increase in their visits to the site to find food. Hennepin County also hopes to use the site to monitor for avian activity and gather data on whether birds use the site as ground nesting or feed on the increased population of insects. This research will be useful going forward to see how a pollinator habitat can develop on a solar site in an urban setting.
Aaron Hanson and Bradley Luchsinger, Philosophy major and IonE Undergraduate Leaders Program Alumni install soil moisture monitoring equipment
A community grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) made it possible for the University to receive the research equipment and additional seeds, and the University received consulting and implementation services from Minnesota Native Landscapes (MNL). Thank you!
We’re hiring a Student Sustainability Communications Assistant! Open to undergrads passionate about sustainability, social media, writing, and graphic design. Help advance campus sustainability and engagement through communications! 👉 Apply by 11/14: Search Job ID: 370820 in the Student Job section.
The Office of Sustainability is rethinking how we engage our campus—and we need your perspective. Spend 2 minutes on this quick survey to help us create impactful events and programs that reflect what you care about. Take the survey.
Join us on Wednesday, November 5 for the official launch of our new hybrid electric campus buses! Stop by on Church St. outside Morrill Hall from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. for games, prizes, and cider. Take a guided tour of one of the new buses and learn about University of Minnesota sustainability initiatives, the Climate Action Plan, and campus bus routes. See you there! 🍁🎉🔋🔌🚌 Add to calendar
For the first time, the University of Minnesota's Huntington Bank Stadium achieved zero waste–recovering an incredible 90% of waste (46,000 pounds) generated during the Farm Aid 40 concert. Learn about Gopher Athletics sustainability efforts
Join us for conversations on campus sustainability and climate action! This fall, we’ll explore two timely topics:
- Electrifying our Fleet – Wed, Oct 15 · 10–11am
Hear from UMN experts about recent progress and future plans for electrifying campus vehicles. - Net Zero Buildings – Tue, Nov 11 · 9–10am
Learn from UMN leaders and Darcy Solutions about designing and building net zero facilities, including the new Collections Facility powered by solar and a geothermal Darcy Well.
Free and open to the public on Zoom. More info
Is your lab interested in participating in the next cohort of the Green Labs Certification Program? Want to learn more about the program? Curious about how to operate your lab more sustainably? Join the informal, one hour info session on Zoom! Reach out to Carley Rice, Sustainability Coordinator, with any questions.
Zoom Info Session: Wednesday 9/17/25, 12:00-1:00pm
Students, staff, and faculty: Share how you are experiencing the UMN campus in the face of climate change. We are looking for focus group participants to interview to understand what hardships you may be facing due to environmental changes.
Email [email protected] with questions.
New online training is available for staff, faculty, instructors, and student employees! Whether you're new to sustainability or already an everyday sustainability hero on campus, you can learn how to contribute to the University's systemwide sustainability goals for the future in under 30 minutes. Be part of the U's community working to build a sustainable future together!
The 2025 Times Higher Ed Sustainability Impact rankings evaluated 2,526 universities from 130 countries/regions, comparing their efforts to conduct teaching, research, outreach and stewardship that support a more sustainable, equitable and healthy future.
The University of Minnesota ranked among the top five in the U.S. for its work related to:
- Clean water (No. 1 in the U.S., Tied for No. 16 in the world)
- Health and well-being (No. 1 in the U.S., Tied for No. 54 in the world)
- Climate action (No. 3 in the U.S., Tied for No. 70 in the world)
- Zero hunger (No. 4 in the U.S., No. 34 in the world)
- Partnerships for the Goals (No. 3 in the U.S.)
Find more information about the rankings on the THE Impact Rankings website.
? Shape Sustainability Stories at UMN
? We want to hear from you! Help us better understand what kinds of sustainability stories and social media content are most useful, engaging, and exciting to our campus community. The short survey takes about 5 minutes to complete and is open to all. Enter your email at the end for a chance to win a $25 Visa gift card!
Thanks for helping us build a stronger, more connected sustainability community at the U! Learn more