I am reviewing this university solely as a commentary on the grounds practices of USP. USP is in a…read moreunique position to have a positive influence on the ecology of West Philadelphia, as they own a key chunk of land situated near both Clark Park and Woodland Cemetery, two greenspaces, close to the Schuylkill river, in a highly-developed urban area with little greenspace.
First, I want to say that the campus IS doing a lot of good things ecologically. Many of the larger trees planted on the campus are native, and they have left some of the land at the edges of their property semi-wild, which provides more habitat for migratory birds. I do bird surveying as a volunteer for eBird (http://ebird.org) in Woodlands Cemetery, and I've seen a number of somewhat unusual birds utilizing the property on the USP side of the fence...numerous warbler species, Fox sparrow, white crowned sparrow, small flocks of hermit thrush, and many more common migratory birds as well, as well as resident woodpeckers, and once, a bluebird.
But one thing I really don't like about USP's practices is that I have seen the groundspeople of this university spraying their flower beds, including ones near the street, with liberal amounts of synthetic herbicides. The grass on the campus also shows a sterile, uniform look, which I suspect reflects heavy chemical usage.
I think that the use of herbicides for aesthetic purposes is entirely unnecessary, and I think it would both look better for USP and be better for the community and surrounding ecosystems if they'd halt the use of herbicides entirely. I have researched herbicides extensively, and most of the mainstream ones used, while the marketing material put forth by the companies selling them tells you are totally safe, can be quite damaging to the environment. For example, Roundup, one of the most commonly used ones, is highly toxic to amphibians.
I have written to USP to urge them to halt the use of herbicides.
My impression of this university would be more favorable if they would halt this practice. USP is a school that is best known for Pharmacy, a science that is dedicated to protecting and advancing human health. How are they protecting human health by spraying unnecessary synthetic chemicals for strictly aesthetic purposes? I do not think that this usage is consistent with the overall purpose and misison of USP and I would urge them to halt this unnecessary practice.