Sustainability

Arbor Day Tree Planting Event (Slideshow)

April 22, 2024

A tree planting ceremony was held on campus to commemorate Arbor Day 2024. Various campus groups planted and dedicated 14 trees, each type representing a different tenet of the university. Volunteers planted olive trees to symbolize peace and hope, red maple trees to symbolize vibrancy and...

University Receives STARS Gold for Sustainability Achievements

UC Merced has proven to be the gold standard of sustainability in higher education and once again, has received a gold star. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher...

Members of the Carson House spent the day in Yosemite National Park to learn about concerns threatening the wellbeing of the park.

Science-Themed Living Learning Communities Enjoy Successful Debut

It started with a simple off-hand comment, one that would likely be met with a chuckle at any other institution. At UC Merced, it became a ripple that has changed the academic and social strata of an...

Two kids flying a drone at the Mobile Maker Space at the Merced County Fair.

County Fair Provides Glimpse of University’s Mobile Maker Space

The county fair offers food and fun, and thanks to UC Merced, this year’s Merced County Fair will also feature an interactive space for kids to learn. UC Merced’s Mobile Maker Space is...

Researchers stand near a large solar collection panel.

UC Solar Projects Bringing Lower Costs, Renewable Energy to Industry, Commerce and Homes

Three big UC Solar projects are poised to be the next big breakthroughs in low-cost, accessible sustainable commercial and residential energy in California and far beyond. Researchers are building...

UC Merced Shows Sustainability Matters in Cool Campus Challenge

The Cool Campus Challenge called for UC campuses to spend the month of April pledging to reduce their carbon footprints, and UC Merced didn’t disappoint. The university finished fourth overall...

UC Merced will compete in a UC systemwide competition called the Cool Campus Challenge.

UC Merced Aims to Become the Coolest UC Campus

As the only institution in the country with all LEED certified buildings, being sustainable is ingrained in UC Merced’s DNA. Now, a new competition is challenging the university to strive for...

The Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program has saved over 800,000 pounds of food since May.

Food Waste Prevention Program Saves Thousands of Pounds of Food in Merced County

With nearly a third of all food worldwide being wasted and millions of people going hungry every day, preventing food from going to waste is a crucial operation. The Bobcat Eats Food Waste...

Sustainability Director Colleen McCormick and the UC Merced solar array

McCormick Leaves Sustaining Legacy at UC Merced

When Colleen McCormick joined UC Merced as its sustainability director in 2014, the university had lofty aspirations but no specific action plan to get from Point A to Point B. Today, the campus...

UC Merced hosted its first Student Leadership Institute for Climate Resilience earlier this month, teaching students how to become leaders in sustainability.

Sustainability Leaders of Tomorrow Develop Skills to Begin Leading the Way

UC Merced students got a crash course in how to lead the world in moving toward sustainability last week as part of the Student Leadership Institute for Climate Resilience (SLICR). The three-day...