To: Melanie Thomas, President

From: Whitney Johnson, Campus Gardener

Date: December 18, 2019
Subject: Recommendation for Student Awareness of Michigan Technological University
Greenspaces

In response to increasing research and evidence suggesting that green space access can be
beneficial to student wellbeing, I have analyzed the ways Michigan Tech can reach out to its
student body and raise awareness of accessible spaces.
I recommend gaining the support of the Michigan Tech’s Undergraduate Student Government.
They can act as a voice on behalf of the movement and on behalf of the students in response to
said movement. Specific details can be found in the report itself.
Thank you for taking the time to look this over. I will serve as the main contact should any
questions arise, or should you need additional information.
Enc. Report
 Bringing Attention to Campus Green Spaces:
A Study of Student Awareness

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to examine the increase in green space conversations,

especially in the context of Michigan Technological University’s campus. The term ‘green

space’ refers to a place anyone and everyone can go to unwind, decompress, and enjoy the

outdoors.

Michigan Technological University

On the MTU campus, there are endless opportunities for green space enjoyment, from

walking through the gardens to mountain biking on world class trails. It is increasingly

important to take care of yourself both mentally and physically, and there is no denying that busy

college students do not always have the time or mental capacity to do this to the full extent.

Recent studies have shown that access to green spaces on college campuses increase student

perception when it comes to overall quality of life (McFarland, Waliczek, Zajicek, 2008) leading

me to my recommendation that Michigan Tech organizations, such as the MTU Student

Government, specifically Melanie Thomas, President, campaign for the increased awareness and

use of these available spaces.

Problem Statement

Background

Green spaces, especially in residential or university settings are generally maintained to a

decently high standard, meaning that many hours of labor, upkeep, and maintenance go into the

continual care of said space. They are maintained with the assumption that they will be used by

the public and are therefore centered around usability. This level of maintenance is relatively

costly and labor intensive. The standard by which these spaces are maintained reflects the needs

of the users; for instance, it needs to be assumed that not everyone has the same level of mobility

when it comes to physically accessing the space. If this assumption is as broad as this, but in

reality, not many people are using the space in question, we enter the realm of wastefulness when

regarding manpower and expenses. Lack of use is not only wasted potential but wasted

resources as well.

The Issue at Hand

Green spaces are something to be enjoyed and preserved. On Michigan Tech’s campus,

however, a majority of the students are unaware of the fact that they have a right to enjoy what is

being presented to them. They are not aware that these beautiful gardens and spaces are meant to

be populated and shared. Being a gardener on campus, I have to say that a large portion of my

time is dedicated to upkeep of these spaces and there really is not that much that needs to be

done due to lack of frequent use. This means I am being paid to preserve what is, currently, not

being used to the fullest potential. On top of this, a lack of use could potentially mean a lack of

human connection which has already been established as being incredibly important.
Requirements

The constraints at this phase in the process appear to be gaining student attention and the

way in which that would be done, as well as the long winters in the area. Winter in not an ideal

time to spread awareness on this topic seeing as the green spaces in question are completely

covered in snow. In addition, with Michigan Tech being a technological university and,

therefore, most assignments being administered online, it is possible that most work outside of

the classroom needs to be completed on a desktop. This would make outdoor green spaces

useful only when homework is not a factor, which it almost always is at an academically

rigorous college. If there is truth behind this assumption, it would automatically decrease the

amount of time in which students would be willing and able to spend time outdoors and away

from screens.

Previous Research Findings

Green spaces play a key role in community wellbeing and mental health. Access to these

spaces is important through all stages of life, from childhood to adulthood, and benefit everyone

in their own way. When studying Iranian adolescents, green space use was proven to not only

enhance self-satisfaction but was also associated with “number of friends and time spent with

friends” (Dadvand, et al, 2019). It was concluded that these research findings could help

policymakers to increase measures to protect and improve the mental health and overall

wellbeing of adolescents in this specific location, taking into consideration climate, lifestyle, and

culture. This study will jumpstart the understanding that green space accessibility is becoming

increasingly important in a world that relies heavily on virtual connections fueled by the growth
of technology. It is important that our youth can experience face to face interactions and form

bonds with friends in a setting set aside for this exact purpose. This is especially important in a

university setting where students can often feel isolated from family, friends, and general human

connections. On top of this, long winters, such as the ones experienced here in Houghton, often

lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D). Human connection is an integral part in mental

health and wellbeing. Therefore, it would benefit us to understand student use of green spaces

on our campus in order to better understand how to spread awareness about the benefits of

continued use.

Recommendation

At this point, focus should be placed on gaining the backing of a specific organization on

Michigan Tech’s campus that would be willing to work for this cause. Currently, there is no

finite evidence that suggests a lack of use on behalf of the students but there is a large amount of

evidence suggesting that access to these types of spaces has a very positive impact on overall

health and wellbeing. With this in mind, a college campus with guaranteed foot traffic each and

every day would be the ideal location for a green space campaign.

Through this campaign, students should be made aware of the signs and symptoms that

suggest a lack of mental health. This should be complimented with information on green space

benefits and the ways in which students can easily access said spaces as often as needed.

Several of the gardens across campus are made to be user friendly but it appears as

though it is not widely known, seeing as I am responsible for upkeep and I rarely see any

individuals using the spaces. In many cases, gardens are something to be looked at and enjoyed
from a distance, not necessarily interacted with. This is not the case on Michigan Tech’s campus

and the student body should be made aware of the fact that they have the ability to interact with

the space and one another.

References

Lee, Jae Ho, and David Matarrita-Cascante. “Van Pelt and Opie Library: Michigan
Technological University.” Van Pelt and Opie Library | Michigan Technological
University, 2019, services.lib.mtu.edu:5021/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.05.006.

Dadvand, Payam, et al. “Van Pelt and Opie Library: Michigan Technological University.” Van
Pelt and Opie Library | Michigan Technological University, 2019,
services.lib.mtu.edu:5021/10.1016/j.envres.2018.09.033.

McFarland, A.L., et al. “The Relationship Between Student Use of Campus Green Spaces and
Perceptions of Quality of Life in: HortTechnology Volume 18 Issue 2 (2008).”
HortTechnology, American Society for Horticultural Science, 12 Dec. 2018,
doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.18.2.232.
Appendix

Facebook
The tone is informal and informational. It is meant to draw people in.
There are over 170 gardens across Michigan Tech’s campus! Do you enjoy spending time
outside? Do you enjoy spending time with your friends? Apply for a student gardener position
this upcoming summer! You and five friends could get paid to work outdoors all summer long!
[link to job position information]

Instagram
The tone for this platform is playful and the goal is to prompt the reader to take some fort of
action.
[picture of berries growing on the MTU campus]
Did you know that there are more than five different types of berries growing across campus?
The best part is that they are all fair game! You can eat whatever you pick!
[link to the types of berries that can be found and how to identify them]

Twitter
The tone is meant to pique the interest of the reader and result in curiosity. It is friendly and
welcoming.
Welcome back Huskies! New developments have been made and we are excited to share them
with you! Did you know that spending time in the green spaces across campus can have a
positive impact on your health? Click the link below to explore our interactive campus map!
[link to an interactive map showing all the available green spaces on the MTU campus]
#MTU #greenspaces #healthandwellness #MTUwellness