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I'm Dr. Anthony Liesiewicz and this is Climate Connections. At Michigan State University, the roar of lawnmowers is being replaced by the sound of buzzing bees. Last year, the school began transforming some mowed lawns into wild meadow habitat for pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Landscape Services coordinator Josh Ridner worked with an entomology professor to identify 22 acres of lawn on campus that got Little Foot Tr. The landscaping crew stopped mowing those areas and let the grass grow naturally. And on six of those acres, they planted and seeded native and pollinator friendly plants.
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We put some butterfly weed and joe pye weed. There's blazing star, bee balm, mountain mint, black eyed Susan.
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By limiting the need for mowers and other gas powered lawn equipment, the project reduces planet warming, carbon pollution and maintenance costs.
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We're only doing the mowing essentially once a year as opposed to, you know, 24 to 28 times
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a year. So Ridner expects the change to pay for itself within three years, and he hopes to expand the effort by planting more this year. So soon the campus will be abuzz with butterflies, bees and birds.
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It's going to help the environment. It's going to do a lot of good for us.
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Climate Connections is produced by the Yale center for Environmental Communication. To learn more about climate change, visit climateconnections.org.
Episode: Bees are buzzing on Michigan State's campus
Date: June 18, 2026
Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale Center for Environmental Communication
Duration: ~90 seconds
This episode explores a new sustainability initiative at Michigan State University, where the campus is converting manicured lawns into wild meadow habitats. The project aims to support pollinators, reduce carbon emissions from lawn maintenance, and cut operational costs—an example of how local action on climate adaptation can create tangible benefits for both nature and people.
“At Michigan State University, the roar of lawnmowers is being replaced by the sound of buzzing bees.”
— Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 00:05
“We put some butterfly weed and joe pye weed. There’s blazing star, bee balm, mountain mint, black eyed Susan.”
— Josh Ridner, 00:42
“We’re only doing the mowing essentially once a year as opposed to... 24 to 28 times a year.”
— Josh Ridner, 00:57
“It's going to help the environment. It's going to do a lot of good for us.”
— Josh Ridner, 01:16
Uplifting, practical, and rooted in real campus-life change, the episode delivers a hopeful message: small, well-planned shifts in landscaping can yield significant environmental benefits, support declining pollinator populations, reduce carbon emissions, and save money—all while making the campus more vibrant and ‘abuzz’ with life.