Campus biodiversity

Direction: Steward campus biodiversity and green spaces

Waterloo has over 1,200 acres of property directly or indirectly managed through the Univeristy. Areas like the Environmental Reserve, the Healing Forest, and the Laurel Creek Corridor are well-loved features of the campus, as well as critical areas of biodiversity and serve important ecological functions in the wider community.

The protection of green spaces, both natural and managed, is an important direction within the updated Campus Plan. These areas serve as hubs for recreation, releaxation, community building, and spiritual connection to nature, as well as the habitat for more than 2,500 identified species.

Throughout 2025, Waterloo expanded biodiversity supports by planting more than 500 native trees and plants, as well as installing bird and bat boxes and habitats in the Envirnomental Reserve.

Waterloo’s Sustainable Land Care Standard provides additional detail on maintenance practices and procedures that support sustainable approaches to land maintenance, including biodiversity protection, soil and vegetation management, fertilizers and pesticide use, water management, snow and ice management, and equipment.

Indicators

Bug line icon
>2,500 species recorded on main campus
Forest line icon
76.25 hectares of naturalized/semi-naturalized greenspace

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Academic mission

Operational practice

Campus engagement

Related links:

Methodology

Methodology

Boundary

All campuses, excluding Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo.

Methodology

Limitations and Exclusions: Does not include privately managed property (i.e. agricultural fields, Research and Technology Park businesses) not managed by the University of Waterloo.

Calculations: Operations staff evaluated whether University grounds met the following criteria, as presented by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System Version 2.0:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM):

  • Uses least-toxic chemical pesticides
  • Minimizes use of chemicals, and
  • Use of chemicals only in targeted locations and only for targeted species

Sustainable Landscape Management:

  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Plant stewardship - protecting and using existing vegetation (e.g. through the use of a tree care plan), using native and ecologically appropriate plants, and controlling and managing invasive species.
  • Soil stewardship - organic soil management practices that restore and/or maintain a natural nutrient cycle and limit the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemicals 
  • Use of environmentally preferable materials - utilizing reused, recycled and local and sustainably produced landscape materials 
  • Hydrology and water use - restoring and/or maintaining the integrity of the natural hydrology by promoting water infiltration, minimizing or eliminating the use of potable water for irrigation, and protecting/restoring riparian, wetland, and shoreline habitats and lost streams 
  • Materials management and waste minimization - composting and/or mulching waste from groundskeeping, including grass trimmings 
  • Snow and ice management - implementing technologies or strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of snow and ice removal 

It was determined that all grounds were managed according to the criteria of Integrated Pest Management. Many, but not all, of the criteria for Sustainable Landscape Management were met.

Actions and accomplishments

Bird box on North Campus Environmental Reserve
Student team helping with buckthorn invasive species pull

Historic actions and accomplishments

Actions from various departments and teams at Waterloo to advance this objective have included, but are not limited to:

2024

  • Identified over 1000 species of organisms during Waterloo's BioBlitz

2023

  • Thousands of garlic mustard and common buckthorn plants removed and replaced with native trees, plants and herbaceous plants to improve biodiversity on campus
  • Installed bird-friendly decals on the bridge that connects SLC and MC to reduce the number of bird-window collisions

2022

  • Organized two tree planting events to engage employees and students in campus naturalization efforts
  • More than 100 volunteers collected over 80 bags of trash during the annual campus cleanup
  • Hosted the first seedling swap to engage and educate the campus community on gardening and local food systems
  • Hosted the first BioBlitz on campus
  • Electrified grounds maintenance equipment, including cutters and mowers
  • Released the Sustainable Landscaping Standard based on best practice and identified opportunity areas, and began reviews and approvals

2021

  • Piloted a brining machine to reduce salt pellet application on walkways

2020

2018

  • The Ecology Lab continued naturalization projects around Environment buildings, as well as planting native shrubs and trees through the ENVS 200 Field Ecology course
  • Over 50 employees collected more than 20 bags of garbage across campus grounds as part of the community clean up

2017

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