Located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marquette University is an oasis of biodiversity. Most notably, Marquette’s high concentration of Wisconsin-native trees makes the campus a unique space for research, appreciating nature, discovering sacred spaces and more. In 2012, Facilities Planning and Management realized the opportunity Marquette’s campus offers the community and began taking inventory of Wisconsin-native trees, with the goal to create an interactive geographic information system (GIS) map the community could use to locate and learn more about the native trees. “The intention of the map is to bring awareness, not just to students but the larger community as well, of the importance of native trees and increasing the tree canopy of urban spaces,” says Chelsea Malacara, the sustainability and energy management coordinator for Facilities Planning and Management. “There are a lot of beautiful green spaces on campus, and we are committed to cultivating more that increase campus biodiversity.” The digital map is expected to be released at the end of the year.
