Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Susquehanna First Campus in Pennsylvania to be Certified by Bee Campus USA

  • 08/20/18

SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna University is the first university in Pennsylvania to be certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of educational campuses for the benefit of pollinators. 

“We are very proud to be the first college or university in the state to achieve this recognition,” says Derek Martin, sustainability coordinator at Susquehanna. “We have worked very hard at Susquehanna to make our campus a hospitable environment for honey bees and all pollinators. This recognition is confirmation that we’re doing the right things to support pollinators and our local environment.”

Pollinators like bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and many others are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of the world's wild plant species and one in every three bites of food we consume.

Susquehanna joins more than 100 other cities and campuses across the country united in improving their landscapes for pollinators. Already, the university:

  • Maintains three bee hives at the Center for Environmental Education and Research (CEER) on Sassafras Street
  • Founded the student-run Beekeepers Club, which maintains the bee hives at the CEER
  • Planted two large plots of wildflowers to promote pollination
  • Holds pollinator awareness events during Earth Week 
  • Convened a Bee Committee, a subcommittee of the university’s Sustainability Committee

Certified campuses must renew their certification each year by reporting on accomplishments from the previous year.

Moving forward, Susquehanna’s Department of Facilities will draft an integrated pest management plan to govern the use of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, which is already limited on campus and not used at all at the CEER.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, OR, with offices across the country. Bee City USA’s mission is to galvanize communities and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free of pesticides.

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.