Gardens & Pollinators
All across campus, UMW hosts plenty of gardens, green spaces and pollinator spaces for the UMW community to observe, enjoy and be a part of! These spaces are designed and maintained by students and volunteers to support the lifestyles, mental health and future learning within the area.
Our Fredericksburg campus offers a variety of gardens and green spaces maintained with support from the UMW Landscape and Grounds Crew, student organizations and the Office of Sustainability. UMW understands the importance of supporting our local environment and pollinator species by prioritizing the planting of appropriate plants, supporting the habits and needs of pollinator species and utilizing sustainable landscaping methods.
Interested in supporting in UMW’s Garden? Volunteer with us!
Interested in learning more? Email us at sustainability@umw.edu or learn more about our gardens below.
UMW Pollinator Gardens
UMW has two pollinator gardens on campus located behind the Anderson Center and adjacent to Goolrick Hall. These student-maintained gardens began in 2019 as a grant project from Dr. Eric Bonds and have continued to expand thanks to help of UMW student organizations such as COAR, the Ecology Club, and Bee Club. Educational signage and bee hotels are located around the garden to help educate the UMW community about the importance of protecting our local pollinators. Volunteer or learn more about our pollinators gardens.
“UNO” Mow Zones
UMW is home to four UNO-mow zones on our Fredericksburg campus: a large meadow and detention pond located by the Jepson Science Center, two areas by Woodard Hall, and a small area by Lee Hall. These limited-mow zones serve plenty of purposes to our campus and local environment, including:
- Providing rich, native resources for local pollinators
- Limiting necessity for frequent gas-powered landscaping work
- Creating an inviting space for diverse flora to thrive
- Fighting against soil erosion
- Helping to filter excess stormwater runoff
The Jepson Meadow
Upon the completion of the Jepson Science Center addition and renovation in 2019, UMW’s Landscape and Grounds assisted in the establishment of the Jepson Meadow. This area along College Avenue was seeded with a variety of native plants to support biodiversity, conserve the soil, support our stormwater efforts, and help mitigate climate change.