ABOUT US

The agrochemical industry has perpetuated the myth of the 'perfectly manicured lawn' to sell poisons for decades. You know what we mean: nothing but grass and more grass as far as the eye can see. Millions of students are exposed everyday to pesticides linked to reproductive harm, neurotoxicity, and cancers in pursuit of an aesthetic that is part of a colonial history: a history that wipes away local ecosystems and native plant-life and replaces it with Eurupean turf-grasses.

Pesticide use has become a social, political, and legal issue as hundreds of thousands of lawsuits have been brought against manufacturers claiming deception of consumers and liability for terminal diagnoses. Many of the chemicals used on college campuses in the US are banned in other countries. 

Pesticides also disrupt the delicate web of life that sustains our planet. They seep into the soil, contaminate water sources, harm beneficial insects, birds, and are life-threatening to humans. 

But it doesn't have to be this way. Re:wild Your Campus is committed to disrupting these traditional, chemical-intensive methods of managing land, and we see universities as a starting point for our movement. It's time to break free of the agrochemical narrative, and to work with nature— not against it. Campuses across the nation are abandoning synthetic pesticides, prioritizing soil health, and reaping the rewards: beautiful campuses free of poisons.

Eliminating synthetics 

It's time to bid farewell to synthetic pesticides and chemical-laden fertilizers. At Re:wild Your Campus, we bring the hidden risks of pesticides to light and support frontline workers with ready-made solutions and on-the-ground assistance to transition to organic landcare. By adopting soil-based organic practices, such as the application of compost teas and overseeding, we ensure the health of turf grasses, landscape beds, sports fields, and more, without compromising the well-being of our environment or our campus community.

Our team of experts will guide you through this transformation, providing the knowledge and tools necessary to implement and maintain a synthetic pesticide and fertilizer free land care program. 

Mackenzie Feldman and Bridget Gustafson co-founded what began as Herbicide-Free Campus at University of California, Berkeley in 2017. They showed up for beach volleyball practice one day to their coaches' cautions: If the ball rolled off the court, don’t chase it. Bridget and Mackenzie were shocked to learn that the area surrounding their court had been sprayed with Ranger Pro, a glyphosate-based product that is a risk to public and environmental health.

Bridget and Mackenzie knew the potentially catastrophic risks of being exposed to such chemicals, so they asked the Supervisor of Athletics Fields & Turf to end spraying by the courts, and in return, the team would pick the surrounding weeds. Since that day, Bridget and Mackenzie have made lasting, institutional change. The campaign spread across campus, and now UC Berkeley is 95% organic. 

Mackenzie and Bridget were inspired to expand the campaign in 2019 after Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a groundskeeper who developed cancer from spraying the same chemical, sued Monsanto. Herbicides were finally getting the attention they deserved, and Mackenzie and Bridget realized that there were countless Lee’s out there developing cancer because someone was telling them to spray a toxic chemical. 

Students started reaching out asking how they could start similar campaigns at their schools, and the two decided that they needed to take this beyond UC Berkeley. Lee Johnson came on as an advisor and they launched Herbicide-Free Campus, to first inspire the entire UC system, and then campuses across the country, to rethink reliance on toxic herbicides in campus management, and to teach students how to lead this campaign. 

In 2022 Herbicide-Free Campus joined Re:wild as a fiscally sponsored project, and rebranded to become Re:wild Your Campus. The movement has now spread coast to coast, driven by students, groundskeepers, and community members passionate about creating safer and healthier school campuses. Re:wild Your Campus has a goal of seeing every university in the U.S. eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers by 2030, and will continue to empower students until every college campus in the country is ecologically safe. Dewayne “Lee” Johnson remains an active advisory board member today, and his story is at the heart of why we do what we do.