The UAH Facilities & Operations department (UAH Grounds Management unit) hosted a 2025 Earth Day Celebration effort in the Conference Training Center (CTC) Lobby on April 22nd that provided information about the holiday, the continuous sustainability efforts on campus, and included giveaway items for students who stopped to learn more. This event was sponsored by the UAH Sustainability Program and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS).

• Lemon & Lavender (located in Downtown Madison) joined this event as North Alabama's first refillery through promoting their store's goal and mission to limit one-use plastics through purchasing shampoo/conditioner, laundry detergent, soaps, and body wash in reusable containers. 
• EnSafe joined this event as well and promoted their sustainability goals and awareness through explaining their web-based programming and focus on recycling/waste minimization, energy/resource conservation, and academic community support.
• F&O, OEHS, and the outside vendors talked with students about sustainability practices to follow daily and protecting the quality of stormwater through the completion of a survey gauging ÂÜÀòµºapp students' current knowledge of stormwater effects and best practices. "By effectively protecting the quality of stormwater, we also safeguard our creeks and rivers, and ultimately the water we need to survive." ().
• The UAH Grounds Management unit gave out Redbud tree seedlings and Sourwood tree seedlings to students with the promotion idea to learn about their specific tree seedlings and take care of them for a year in a pot, with the hopes of planting them back into the environment, as they are both native tree species.

While remembering the true purpose of Earth Day, we ask you to reflect on some major environmental issues going on in the world and continue to support environmental awareness. You can celebrate Earth Day every day by engaging in your community and showing appreciation for our planet!

Congratulations to the UAH Facilities and Operations department! 

The Professional Grounds Management Society () honored several grounds professionals with awards as part of its Annual Awards Celebration on Thursday, October 17, 2024, in Louisville, KY. We are proud of the two University of Alabama System institutions that received awards. ÂÜÀòµºapp won the Honor Award for the University and College Grounds - Mid-Size category. The University of Alabama won the Honor Award for the University and College Grounds - Large category.

Congratulations to the entire Grounds & Landscape Management team for their hard work and dedication to our campus grounds and landscaping! UAH Grounds and Landscape Management members Tory Tollefson (Director, Grounds, Landscape & Fleet Management) and Thomas Carroll (Assistant Director, Grounds & Landscape Management), Tyler Randolph (Manager of Athletic Fields & Campus Irrigation), Daniel Calavan (Landscape Supervisor), and Daniel Jean (Landscape Specialist), accepted the award on behalf of UAH.

The UAH Sustainability Program hosted an Earth Day 2024 Celebration effort in the Conference Training Center (CTC) Lobby on April 18th that provided information about the holiday, the continuous sustainability efforts on campus, and included giveaway items for students who stopped to learn more. This event was sponsored by the UAH Facilities and Operations Department and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS). Madison Davis, Student Sustainability Specialist, along with OEHS representatives talked with students about sustainability practices to follow daily and protecting the quality of stormwater through the completion of a survey gauging ÂÜÀòµºapp student's current knowledge of stormwater effects and best practices. "By effectively protecting the quality of stormwater, we also safeguard our creeks and rivers, and ultimately the water we need to survive." (). There were also information sheets regarding the specific trees you might find while walking through campus and facts about each type of tree. While remembering the true purpose of Earth Day, we ask you to reflect on some major environmental issues going on in the world and continue to support environmental awareness. You can celebrate Earth Day every day by engaging in your community and showing appreciation for our planet!

Tree Campus Higher Education was founded in 2008 to foster that tradition of excellence. The program provides a  for colleges and universities to grow their community forests, achieve national recognition, and create a campus their students and staff are proud of. The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. ÂÜÀòµºapp achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project.

"No matter where you’re from, trees and green space are an integral part of the college experience. They make campuses more livable, healthy, and beautiful, benefiting students and the environment as a whole." We are proud recipients of the Tree Campus USA recognition by the National Arbor Day Foundation for seven collective years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023).

The UAH Sustainability Program within the Facilities and Operations department hosted a Black History Month table event under the Charger Union Breezeway on February 28. This table event focused on combining African Americans who made a sustainable impact in history with our sustainability efforts here at UAH. 

• Colonel Charles Young was the first African American National Park Service Superintendent
• Hattie Carthan was an environmental justice advocate for ending environmental racism
• Wangari Maathai was a black environmentalist and found of the Green Belt Movement
• John Francis fought for environmental justic and was a climate change advocate

Being sustainable is not only about caring for your environment, but also helping maintain your community and the well being on the people in it. Here are some easy ways you can be sustainable in your daily life:

• Helping in your community
• Turning off lights
• Minimizing food waste
• Carpooling
• Donating unused items

The UAH Sustainability Program along with the UAH Grounds Team hosted a hands-on planting event in front of the Salmon Library for UAH's Week of Welcome on Wednesday, August 16. Students were invited to join this event to interact personally with the skilled team members from Facilities and Operations, deepen their knowledge of the planting process, and ultimately promote sustainability. ÂÜÀòµºapp students were able to make a positive impact through the beautification of the campus.

"Plants improve the environment in many ways, like releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing nutrients to animals, and regulating the water cycle â€” all things we need to sustain life on Earth."

Tree Campus Higher Education was founded in 2008 to foster that tradition of excellence. The program provides a  for colleges and universities to grow their community forests, achieve national recognition, and create a campus their students and staff are proud of. The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. ÂÜÀòµºapp achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project.

"No matter where you’re from, trees and green space are an integral part of the college experience. They make campuses more livable, healthy, and beautiful, benefiting students and the environment as a whole." We are proud recipients of the Tree Campus USA recognition by the National Arbor Day Foundation for six collective years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023).

The Earth Day Bash was a resounding success, drawing in approximately 200 enthusiastic attendees. From 11 am to 2 pm, the stage area between the Conference Training Center and Salmon Library buzzed with energy and excitement. The event featured an impressive showcase of booths from various clubs, companies, and organizations in the Huntsville area, all committed to environmental protection and sustainability. Students had the opportunity to engage with passionate exhibitors, learn about their initiatives, and gain insights into eco-friendly practices. The first 150 students were even treated to complimentary t-shirts, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. Additionally, a thrilling raffle offered attendees the chance to win enticing prizes. Overall, the Earth Day Bash provided an engaging and educational platform for the community to come together and celebrate the importance of preserving our planet.

UAH has earned a STARS Bronze rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

During University Awards for Excellence ceremonies on April 21, plaques commemorating 20 patents were awarded to 23 innovators from two colleges and four research centers at UAH.