About TCU

Texas Christian University (TCU) was founded over 150 years ago in 1869 as one of the first co-ed education institutions on this side of the Mississippi. Starting with just 19 students, TCU has grown to a community of 15,000 students and staff. TCU has been a long-standing supporter of conservation and sustainability, with a mission to “educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.” TCU takes on a triad approach of People, Planet, and Profit to nurture natural and social capital through economic opportunities while reducing environmental impacts and integrating a diverse community. This mission has been supported by everything from academic research to on-campus projects such as TCU’s recent Pollinator Garden. 

Project Description and History

Texas Christian University’s Pollinator Garden was planted on campus in November of 2021 with the mission to provide a landscape bed planted with native perennials to attract pollinators. This project was initiated by a single student and was supported by members of the TCU Sustainability Committee, groundskeeping staff, and local native plant expert Bill Freiheit. TCU’s goal for the Pollinator Garden is to plant only native plants without any chemical usage. Currently, the bed is almost 100% native and no chemicals have been used on this wild pocket ecosystem. The use of native perennial plants allows for less irrigation watering and a pollinator presence year-round! In addition to pollinator usage, rabbits and other native wildlife have also been found using the landscape. TCU’s pollinator garden is also a certified Monarch Waystation.

Community Impact

Before it was converted to native perennials, this landscape bed used to be replanted seasonally with flowering annuals. This project aims to educate the campus community about the importance of native plants and pollinators. TCU’s pollinator garden can also serve as a model for other larger-scale landscaping projects, providing an alternative landscape vision for native plantings. Additionally, TCU encourages student participation in the project through annual student planting events.