Living Green atElmhurst: A Traditionof Sustainability

Elmhurst College: A Tradition of SustainabilityElmhurst College has a long tradition of responsible stewardship of the environment.As early as 1871, the year of the College’s founding, a working farm on the campusprovided students with locally grown produce for the dinner table as well as opportu-nities for healthy outdoor activity. In 1966, the College established the Elmhurst Ar-boretum on campus to nurture the natural environment. Today, the College’s corevalues include a commitment to pursue innovations that respect the environment andfoster sustainability in the management of our resources—and we incorporate greenprinciples in every aspect of campus life.

Here are some examples of our commitment to sustainable practices.

The Elmhurst ArboretumFounded in 1966 with the planting of asingle oak tree, the Elmhurst Arboretumhas grown and flourished. Today, the cam-pus boasts nearly 700 species of trees andshrubs, including many exotic and rarespecimens. An inspiring environment forlearning and growth, the arboretum is avisible manifestation of the College’s com-mitment to green principles.

Prairie GardenOn an acre of land at the western edge ofcampus, seventy-five species of native plantlife flourish in a recently planted prairierestoration. The grasses, sedges, and wild-flowers planted here represent species thatonce dominated the Illinois landscape. Per-fectly suited to thrive in the Midwest’slong, dry summers, the native plants herereduce the College’s use of water, pesti-cides, fertilizers, and power tools and sup-port the College’s commitment toprinciples of ecological sustainability.

Green LivingElmhurst’s newest residence hall is also itsmost ecologically innovative building.West Hall, which opened its doors to 170students in August 2008, features an arrayof sustainable design features, including 42rooftop solar panels; energy-saving, motion-sensitive lighting; and a networkof cisterns to capture and store rainwater.The U.S. Green Building Council awardedWest Hall a silver rating in its Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design (LEED)rating system. The building is one of the firstof its kind in Illinois to achieve that status.

Low-Impact LightingIn 2005, the College won a $102,000 grantfrom the Illinois Clean Energy Founda-tion in support of energy-efficient upgradesto the lighting systems in campus resi-dence halls and classrooms. Today, energy-efficient bulbs and movement-sensitivelight switches are in use throughout thecampus. The College also has institutedfocused lighting on campus to minimizelight pollution.

Permeable PavingIn 2007, the College repaved the parkinglot at the west end of campus with state-of-the art permeable paving stones thatkeep rainwater on site and in the watertable, rather than channeling it into over-taxed sewers systems.

Local Building MaterialsIn all construction and renovations proj-ects, the College preferences materialsources that are within a 500-mile radiusof Elmhurst, reducing fuel resources usedin transportation.

Reduced Water UsageThe campus is committed to building newresidence halls with low-flow shower headsand dual-flush toilets to minimize waterusage.

Forest StewardshipNew construction on campus uses woodharvested according to the standards ofthe Forest Stewardship Council, whosecertification system recognizes wood pro-duction that minimizes habitat destruc-tion, water pollution, and displacement ofindigenous people and wildlife.

RecyclingThe College recycles plastic, glass, paperand aluminum. Waste receptaclesthroughout the campus encourage stu-dents and others to recycle.

Green CleaningElmhurst College mandates the use ofminimally polluting cleaning productsthroughout campus buildings.

Environmental Policy DevelopmentAt the policy level, the College works toward environmental change as a mem-ber of Elmhurst’s Cool Cities initiative,which successfully lobbied the city ofElmhurst to ratify the U.S. Mayors Cli-mate Protection Agreement. And in 2008the College co-hosted Elmhurst GreenFest 2008 as well as a governmental forumon rainwater management in the DuPageRiver watershed region.

Reducing TrafficThe College recently unveiled a new planto reduce the number of cars on campusand encourage alternative forms of trans-portation. Among other elements, theplan calls for prohibiting residential first-year students from bringing cars to cam-pus; providing free bicycles for upper-levelresidence hall students, in exchange forwritten promises not to bring their cars;improving and expanding our studentshuttle service to downtown Elmhurst andother popular location; and providing par-tial reimbursement to employees for regu-lar monthly use of select publictransportation systems.

190 Prospect AvenueElmhurst, Illinois 60126