Grounds Operations

The majority of Stanford’s landscapes are irrigated with non-potable lake water. Systems are in place to direct water as it flows through campus to holding areas, then capture excess water and pump it back into the lake water system, maximizing landscape water conservation.

Grounds are designed using climate-resilient plant palettes for landscaping and monitoring species performance over time. Approximately 75% of the campus uses native or drought-resilient plantings with mulch or non-irrigated grass and native oaks for canopy.

Stanford’s Arboretum Vegetation Master Plan outlines a long-term strategy to restore and enhance the 220-acre Arboretum as a climate-resilient, biodiverse, and culturally significant open space. The plan defines six vegetation communities, integrates climate-forward planting, supports stormwater management, and enhances habitat, access, and cultural programming.

Stanford’s climate-forward planting initiative is transforming its Arboretum with vegetation selected from a 30-year study on tree species resilient to warming conditions. By prioritizing drought-tolerant oaks with deep roots and symbiotic fungal networks that enhance water uptake and carbon sequestration, the project not only restores canopy lost to development but also strengthens ecological resilience and honors Indigenous land stewardship practices.

Stanford employs smart irrigation systems that automatically adjust based on rainfall and humidity to conserve water while maintaining healthy landscapes. The pilot program that informed the university’s irrigation systems showed a 26% reduction in water use, which translates to almost 2 million gallons saved annually.

Stanford converted the football stadium subsoil to sand. This enhances field drainage and aeration, leading to a greater rooting depth and more efficient watering, improving the health and resilience to the field.

Stanford is committed to maintaining recreational campus turf to support a wide range of activities. These green spaces help reduce local temperatures, and when weather permits, university departments and campus groups are encouraged to use outdoor turf for programs and events instead of indoor venues to maximize campus space and minimize use of building system resources.

Stanford aims to transition all groundskeeping tools to battery-powered alternatives as gas-powered equipment reaches its end of life and alternatives become available. This includes backpack leaf blowers, hedge and line trimmers, chainsaws, and mowers.

Stanford is assessing electrical capacity and infrastructure needs to support the transition to electric grounds equipment across campus. New and renovated corporation yards will include maximum capacity for charging electric equipment along with innovative power management strategies, including control of charging schedules, energy storage, etc.

Stanford upgraded most exterior campus lighting to LEDs between 2015 and 2018. The first phase retrofitted road and pathway lighting, cutting electricity use by roughly 50%. The second phase converted building exteriors, stairways, and decorative fixtures to LEDs while maintaining lighting quality. Combined upgrades save approximately 1.2–1.3 million kWh annually.

A campus-wide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) initiative unites students, staff, and departments to develop environmentally sound pest control strategies. Building on Stanford’s existing IPM program—which prioritizes minimal pesticide use, protection of non-target organisms, and long-term plant health—the project will compile best practices, institutional knowledge, and stakeholder input to establish best-in-class IPM standard operating procedures.

Stanford maintains a GIS-based tree inventory system to track the health, species composition, and condition of more than 37,000 trees across campus, which provide the campus with an average 32% canopy coverage. The inventory shows that native species make up 43% of Stanford’s trees, with the Coast Live Oak as the most common species, representing about 30% of all campus trees.

Stanford monitors trees across campus for irrigation outage detection and tree health assessments using compact sensors installed into select trees. The monitors have assisted Stanford in maintaining the health and resilience of university trees.

Stanford’s tree relocation program works to relocate trees of semi-mature size that would otherwise be demolished when in conflict with construction projects. This preserves the campus’s existing ecosystems and carbon sinks. Approximately 1,500 trees have been transplanted over the last 30 years.

The Campus Canopy Proposal establishes a framework to maintain and enhance Stanford’s campus tree canopy, which is currently estimated at 32% of total land area. The proposal outlines a university-wide approach to replanting and long-term tree stewardship that ensures canopy continuity amid development and climate change. It emphasizes flexible tree replacement across campus, prioritizes climate-resilient species, and minimizes the risks of a monoculture.

When possible, felled trees are repurposed as materials for campus furniture such as outdoor benches; used as lumber for repairs, fencing, etc.; or left in place to support habitat creation and biodiversity.