Green landscaping
Planting the seeds for a greener tomorrow with outdoor areas that are self-sustaining and native to Missouri.
We include as many native plants as possible and use sustainable practices on our campuses to harmonize with nature, and provide a safe and healthy habitat for local wildlife.
Water stewardship
We do all we can to treat water as the limited resource it is. We use rain sensors to reduce city water usage. We employ aquifers, bioswales and green roofs to help filter the rain runoff from parking lots and garages to allow clear water back into the natural water table and lakes.
Butterfly and pollinator garden
Our motto in designing the 3,000-square-foot Butterfly and Pollinator Garden at our Maryland Heights Campus in St. Louis was Sustainability in Flight. And for good reason. This garden welcomes several varieties of butterflies, bees and birds with its 12- by 250-foot sweeping bed of purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, butterfly milkweeds and more.
In fact, it's now a certified Monarch Waystation, as well as a North American Butterfly Association Certified Butterfly Garden. Up to three generations will live in our garden before the fourth migrates South and returns the following spring.
Prairie area
A 4.5-acre area on our North Campus St. Louis site is being converted into a prairie area featuring a mix of native Missouri grasses and flowers. Prairies provide a habitat for pollinators, increase biodiversity and improve erosion and storm water runoff.
We'll use seeds collected from the farm that once belonged to Ted and Pat Jones, and maintain it in a similar fashion, making this area a sister prairie to the Jones farm habitat. The prairie will include mowed and wood-chip pathways to make it inviting to visit and ensure easy maintenance.