Emma Heslop is experienced in guiding her peers on how to plant native species, including dense blazing star, early goldenrod, little bluestem, and rattlesnake master. Her frequent advice? “Don’t worry so much.”
As an environmental studies senior, Heslop recently helped plant native species in prepared beds at the new engineering quad in front of Nitschke Hall. “Many students start off nervous, afraid they might harm the plants or make mistakes,” she said. “We emphasize that it’s hard to go wrong. Native plants are resilient and can recover from a lot.”
Heslop works with Greening UToledo through Service Learning (GUTS), a student-led initiative aimed at boosting biodiversity on campus by creating and maintaining native landscapes. Native plants are valued for being low-maintenance and possessing deep root systems that filter water runoff, sequester carbon, and provide various environmental benefits.
This semester, the engineering quad is one of two new gardens being planted by the program, increasing the total number of maintained sites to nearly a dozen.
“Each of these sites serves as a classroom,” said Dr. Todd Crail, a Distinguished University Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Sciences and the program’s overseer since its launch in 2016. “We have areas designed to mimic wetlands, woodlands, and prairies, representing nearly every type of ecosystem found in Lucas County. Students apply what they learn in their environmental sciences classes while actively addressing climate change, enhancing watershed health, and supporting pollinators reliant on these plants.”
GUTS began with support from the UToledo Student Green Fund but has become financially sustainable. The university or its colleges now contract the program for planting based on square-foot calculations, making it a cost-effective alternative to commercial landscaping—especially for projects like the newly opened engineering quad, which celebrated its ribbon-cutting in October.
“The chance to provide students with hands-on service-learning experiences while enhancing our campus at a lower cost than hiring a landscaping company is very appealing,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with GUTS.”
This semester, five student employees are facilitating opportunities for their peers to engage with the gardens on Main Campus, as well as seed storage and nursery facilities at Bowman-Oddy Laboratories. They guide fellow students in harvesting and storing seeds, germinating and transplanting seedlings, and caring for the native gardens.
More than 200 students contribute an estimated 800 volunteer hours annually through GUTS. Some, like Grace Jimenez, an environmental sciences junior, joined the program this semester to fulfill a service-learning requirement for her Introduction to Environmental Studies class. Others, like Jimenez, continue volunteering even after completing their requirements.
“We were offered extra credit for putting in more hours, but I enjoy the work, so a few classmates and I are just volunteering now,” Jimenez said while planting alongside Heslop and fellow environmental sciences junior Madison Dominguez.
The engineering quad adds to GUTS’ portfolio, which includes two beds at the north end of Glass Bowl Stadium, courtyards of University Hall, and several beds around Bowman-Oddy Laboratories, Carlson Library, and the Center for Performing Arts, as well as the Carolyn Edwards Memorial Rain Garden south of the Ottawa River.
Reflecting on her early hesitations with GUTS, Heslop, now confidently planting seedlings, recalled, “I couldn’t identify the plants or anything like that.”
Since then, she has gained considerable knowledge—not just about the dense blazing star.
“I’m planning to go into environmental law,” Heslop said. “I’ve learned a lot through my environmental background and by engaging with sustainability in a practical way. GUTS has helped bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world applications.”
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