Sustainability at Bellarmine
Creating a greener Bellarmine, unlocking a greener world.
In the inclusive spirit of Thomas Merton, our core values of social responsibility
and stewardship at Bellarmine call us to honor the interconnectedness of life and
the solidarity of the human spirit.
Inspired by the Laudato Si' Action Platform, Bellarmine University is committed to caring for our common home. Guided by its action plan, we integrate ecological stewardship into education, research, and operations, addressing the cry of the Earth and the poor. Together, we strive for sustainability, social justice, and hope for future generations.
Bellarmine is proud to have earned a bronze rating from the Association for the Advancemenent of Sustainability in Higher Education's (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) for 2025-2028. This designation acknowledges Bellarmine's commitment to long-term sustainability goals and ongoing work to achieve sustainable practices across our campus footprint and beyond.
Mission
Following Catholic Social Teachings, the Sustainability Committee is cross-functional
team of students, faculty, and staff working in collaboration to create a campus-wide
culture of sustainability at Bellarmine to reduce our ecological footprint, save resources,
and support the greater community in which we live.
Partner Student Organizations
Bellarmine offers a variety of sustainability-focused registered student organizations to get involved with and help advance our university's ecological well-being. Click the logo of each student organization to learn more about involvement opportunities.
Beekeeping Club Fish Keeping Club Green Knights Alpha Phi Omega
Did you know?
Many of these opportunities to get involved with sustainability-aligned organizations can be done in alignment with Bellarmine's Employee Community Engagement Paid Leave Time policy: "All regular full-time and regular part-time employees (non-exempt and exempt) will be permitted to volunteer up to three days (24 hours for full-time employees; prorated hours for part-time employees) per fiscal year at an approved local non-profit organization during regularly scheduled workdays."
Community Partners
Sustainability efforts at Bellarmine are supported by local environmentally focused nonprofits and organizations that Bellarmine students, faculty, and staff can get involved with off campus.
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Louisville Grows cultivates greener, healthier neighborhoods through urban horticulture, expanding the tree canopy, and workforce development to foster a city more connected to people and the planet.
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Feed Louisville is a team of professional chefs on a mission to address this crisis. They prevent perfectly good food from being wasted, and use it to make beautiful meals for our unhoused and food insecure community. Our kitchen is an intersection between food rescue and hunger relief.
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Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is an internationally-recognized garden and education center set on the historic former estate of Theodore Klein. Visitors can explore stunning display gardens, enjoy educational programs and events, and experience ongoing plant research and hiking trails. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Yew Dell is a Preservation Partner of the Garden Conservancy.
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Louisville Nature Center's mission is "to be a catalyst for conservation through environmental education and connection to nature for every person."
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The Food Literacy Project works with youth to build healthy communities, where people and places thrive. They support youth transforming their communities through food, farming, and the land.
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Kentucky Waterways Alliance envisions a Kentucky that sustains and celebrates our vast network of healthy waterways. Kentucky’s lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands support thriving aquatic ecosystems, healthy fish and wildlife populations, abundant recreation, and dependable, clean water supplies for future generations.
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WaterStep is an NGO based in Kentucky, USA, that focuses on sustainable solutions to the world’s WASH crisis. Since 1995, WaterStep has evolved from a small service organization to a global leader in safe water solutions and innovation.
Make an Impact
Academics
Bellarmine offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Justice and Sustainability, and a minor in Environmental Studies. The Department of Environmental Studies offers courses ranging from general education natural science courses in Environmental Science to technical skill-building in our Geographic Information Systems and Sustainable Development courses to engagement with social justice issues in our Environmental Justice course.
Co-Curricular
The Social Impact Learning Community (SILC) is designed for students who long to improve the human condition. This community is service-driven and focuses on four pillars: compassion, civic engagement, civility, and community. Students in this community should have a special interest in creating a more inclusive society and be willing to engage in challenging dialogue about current societal issues of injustice and intolerance.
Community Engagement
Various classes and groups on campus engage with the greater Louisville community in meaningful ways to help the environment. Faculty and students in the Department of Environmental Studies support wetland restoration research at the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center. Students also work with Olmsted Parks Conservancy to remove invasive species from campus and local parks.
Sustainability Blog
Our blog posts focus on issues affecting the Bellarmine community, aim to raise awareness for sustainable efforts on campus and beyond, and invite participation from Bellarmine stakeholders to create a greener comminity.
Sustainability Blog
Sustainable Bellarmine in Action
Pollinators and Biodiversity
Our bee hives at the Bellarmine Farm produce the best local honey around! We are a certified member of the Xerces Society Bee Campus USA program for our support of pollinators.
Our pollinator gardens outside of Newman Hall and at the Bellarmine Farm provide habitat for butterflies, bees, and birds
Our rain garden of native plants in front of Allen Hall retains storm water, reduces fertilizers from getting into our waterways, and provides habitat for fish, frogs, pollinators, and other organisms.
Regenerative Agriculture
The Bellarmine Farm and orchard is a community garden and demonstration area for regenerative agricultural practices including raised beds, cold frames, permaculture, and composting.
Our outdoor classroom is available for class-based outdoor gathering, and our plots are available for experimental gardening, exploration of nutrition, and other class activities in an outdoor learning environment. We also maintain two pollinator gardens and an apple and pear orchard, where the Bellarmine Beekeeping Club maintains our campus beehives.
Tree Canopy
Bellarmine’s campus showcases beautiful native trees that provide shade and cooling and is a certified member of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program. The urban heat island effect is of concern in Louisville, and trees are one of the best ways to combat the heat island effect.
EV Charging Station
Our electric vehicle charging station near Miles Hall can accommodate two vehicles at a time, and our Facilities staff utilizes electric-powered gator vehicles.
Geothermal Energy
Our geothermal system consists of 88 wells, each 500 feet deep each, that serve as the heating and cooling system for the George G. Brown Center.
Lighting Improvements and Energy Management
Our LED lighting on the Quad provides 3.5x the light of the replaced system at one-third of the electricity. Our Energy Management System enables facilities to reduce energy use based on building and room occupancy.