Sustainable Land Management

Dickinson makes extensive use of native plants, natural meadows and edible plants in its landscaping of the 200-acre main campus, helping to conserve water, provide habitat and food for wildlife, and avoid introduction of invasive species. Pests are controlled using integrated pest management practices, and rain-gardens and bioswales control storm water runoff. At the Dickinson Organic Farm, the land is managed using sustainable organic practices. Soils are improved with composted food waste from the campus, synthetic fertilizers are avoided, pests are managed using natural practices, soil erosion and water runoff are controlled using tree buffers, and wildlife habitat is integrated into the working farmscape.