Landscaping and Ecology

Outdoor Landscaping

UMB has integrated thoughtful design into its landscaping to provide more green space onto campus, whether that be a small bump-out to incorporate a flower garden along walking paths, finding creative solutions to lessen the impervious area on campus, or saving older trees from new construction and “recycling” them by placing them in other spaces.

Stormwater management on campus also provides opportunities for additional greenery and usage of native plants. When you walk around campus, look around. Something that might look like a simple garden could actually be working hard to help treat rainwater.

In accordance with the specifications from Maryland’s Department of General Services, UMB prioritizes environmental-preferable landscaping materials and practices. This includes replacing non-native trees, shrubs, and other plantings with natives where possible, planting perennials in place of annuals, and using innovative landscaping techniques to reduce soil nutrient loss and greenhouse gas emissions.

Campus Trees

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Office of Sustainability formed a Tree Advisory Committee in 2022 as part of its efforts to apply for the Tree Campus Higher Education designation through the Arbor Day Foundation.

The University established a UMB Tree Care Plan in 2022, with input from the Tree Advisory Committee and UMB’s Resilience Working Group. The plan establishes care and maintenance guidelines as well as outlines the following tactics:

• Support the city of Baltimore’s goal of establishing 40 percent tree cover by 2030 to combat urban heat island effect for UMB and its neighbors by increasing tree plantings on campus.
  • Increase the total number of campus trees by 10 percent over five years
• Utilize UMB’s landscaping contract to ensure maintenance and care of existing trees on campus.

In 2022, UMB received a grant through the Chesapeake Bay Trust Urban Trees program to plant 65 new trees in support of our goal to increase our campus’ urban tree canopy. Learn more about the project here.

UMB also is a proud recipient of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ People Loving and Nurturing Trees (PLANT) Award.

Tree Canopy and Tree Equity in Baltimore

In 2021, UMB performed an analysis to estimate the campus tree canopy using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results indicated that UMB’s current tree canopy is at 10 percent. In 2023, UMB created a Tree Campus Inventory to allow the University to protect existing trees and find opportunities to plant more trees on campus. In addition to the inventory, the Office of Sustainability has created a StoryMap on Tree Equity in Baltimore.

Download Other Educational Tree Materials Here

Green Roofs

UMB has several green roofs on campus, including three separate roofs at Health Sciences Research Facility III. One of these roofs at HSRF III is accessible (second floor).

Bees at UMB

In June 2023 UMB placed a bee hive at the Health Sciences Research Facility III (HSF III)'s seventh floor green roof. The bees are maintained by Bee Friendly Apiary. These bees will benefit the local community by pollinating native plants and local agriculture.

Did you know bees travel 1-2 miles from their hives in search of nectar? They have also been observed traveling up to 5 miles from their hives. UMB's Office of Sustainability created a map with UMB and UMMC's hives to show you how many urban farms the campus and hospitals' bees can visit. View the map in our resources page here.