May 2025
Held April 22–23, the 32nd annual Campus Sustainability Summit at CU Boulder brought together students, faculty, staff and community members to collaborate on advancing sustainability initiatives. The two-day event featured student showcases, leadership panels, workshops and discussions aimed at building resilience and accelerating impact.
The 28th annual Campus Sustainability Awards program honored outstanding individuals and departments who demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing CU Boulder’s long-standing sustainability goals. Awardees were recognized for innovations that reduced the university’s ecological footprint, fostered social cohesion and equity, and helped embed sustainability into campus and community culture. Learn more about the Campus Sustainability Awards program and the 2025 awardees.
The Orchard has been planted! Saturday morning, CU students and community members worked in small groups led by Boulder Apple Tree Project students in planting 30 trees of 15 different cultivars. Students from EBIO, ENVS, geology, engineering, and the farm and garden club were represented. We had a total of 27 folks supporting the planting. The purpose of this orchard is to create a biodiverse and sustainable agro-ecological space that can be used for classes, relaxation, and recreation. Ultimately, the fruit harvested from these trees will go to the Buff Pantry. We are hoping that these trees will bear fruit in the next 3-5 years.
The planting was covered by CBS, ABC, the Boulder reporting lab, and CU media relations.
Congrats to our May 2025 grads
The CU Environmental Center is hiring for summer and fall—search "Environmental Center" on the CU Handshake site to view open positions and apply with one simple application.
Facilities Management signed the purchase order on April 17, with the truck expected to be delivered within 12–18 months. This electric trash truck will be the first of its kind in Facilities Management’s fleet, replacing one of the existing diesel trucks, which will be decommissioned in accordance with the grant’s stipulations. The purchase builds on other efforts to electrify the overall campus fleet, including in Transportation Services where four electric Buff Buses are in service, with another four set to arrive by the end of 2025.
Are you leaving Boulder for the summer but can't take your bike? The CU Bike Program will store it in a secure covered location for the entire summer, for only $20! Stored bikes will be available for pick-up during the first week of fall 2025 classes. Bikes left locked to outdoor racks are often stolen and abandoned bikes are subject to impound, so take advantage of the summer storage option.
Please pay ahead of time so we are able to confirm the number of bikes that will be stored. We are usually able to store around 100 bikes, so get your orders in now!
Hundreds of students moving out during a short period of time in a neighborhood can certainly cause some impacts. To reduce the amount of items left behind, or unnecessary waste added to landfill, Off-Campus Housing & Neighborhood Relations, the CU Environmental Center, the City of Boulder, and the Boulder Area Rental Housing Association have created a pilot program in the University Hill neighborhood to assist our students with directing their unwanted items into the correct streams - landfill (e.g. broken items that cannot be reused) reusable items (e.g. gently used furniture and other household goods) and hard-to-recycle items (e.g. electronics that cannot go to landfill).
From dozens of new startup companies to a new curriculum empowering our students to installing solar arrays and more, CU Boulder is walking the talk when it comes to sustainability. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to integrate sustainability into every aspect of university life, creating a model for others to follow.