Changemaker Spotlight - Mackenzie Feldman

Meet Mackenzie Feldman, a true Changemaker on a mission. As the Founder and Director of Re:wild Your Campus, she's dedicated to transforming school campuses into climate-resilient, biodiverse havens. Her goal? To rid all U.S. school campuses of synthetic pesticides by 2030. Join us as we delve into Mackenzie's impactful efforts and her vision for a greener future.

WS: What inspired you to establish Re:wild Your Campus, and what specific challenges did you encounter when advocating for organic landcare and rewilding on campuses?

MF: I was on the college beach volleyball team at UC Berkeley, and one day when I showed up for practice, my coach told us that we should not chase the ball if it went off the court. “Why?” I asked, “Because the grass was sprayed with an herbicide!” Astounded, my teammate Bridget and I worked to ban herbicides from the courts and began picking the weeds ourselves with the Athletics Grounds Manager’s permission. We realized this issue extended beyond the volleyball court and began a campus-wide movement, Herbicide-Free Cal to transition the entire UC Berkeley campus to organic landcare.

Initially, I did not intend for this work to go beyond UC Berkeley, but after graduating in 2018, I found myself in the San Francisco Superior Court at the Johnson v. Monsanto trial. Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a school groundskeeper from California was suing Monsanto because the company’s glyphosate-based weedkiller allegedly caused his terminal cancer. I found his story and battle against both cancer and the agrochemical giant, Monsanto, inspirational.

I wrote him a letter sharing my admiration and the origin of the Herbicide-Free campaign. A few weeks later, Lee responded and asked how he could participate in my campaign. It was then that I decided I needed to take this campaign to other campuses around the country, and founded the nonprofit Re:wild Your Campus. Today we work with colleges and universities across the country and are on a mission to get all schools to go organic by 2030.

Regarding challenges, it is difficult to disrupt the chemical-intensive norms that have become so ubiquitous in our society. Groundskeepers have been taught, in large part due to the influence of chemical companies, that organic land management is more expensive and less effective. A big part of our work is advocating the importance of toxin-free spaces and training groundskeepers to manage landscapes without using harmful pesticides. We demonstrate that organic landcare saves money, that it is better for people and the planet, and that it can uphold the same aesthetic goals.

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WS: Can you share some success stories or impactful projects that Re:wild Your Campus has accomplished in collaboration with campus administrators, students, and local organizations?

MF: We've had some pretty big wins, such as getting UC Berkeley, where this all started, 95% organic. We got glyphosate banned from all 10 University of California campuses, and we worked with the Protect Our Keiki Coalition to get all herbicides banned from every public school in the state of Hawai'i. After collaborating with over 75 universities over the past few years, it became clear that there is an absence of a universal standard for landcare, which led to the creation of the Green Grounds Certification (GGC). The GGC includes Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, and honors campuses’ efforts toward achieving organic landcare as well as recognizes schools embracing student collaboration, native plantings, water savings, and electric machinery. In being certified, schools join a national network of institutions with the same goal of maintaining campuses organically, free of toxic and synthetic chemicals for the sake of human health and the environment. We have certified eight schools so far, and plan to scale this offering and certify at least 25 schools in 2024. This is a critical step in redefining campus landcare possibilities and building a culture of safe and sustainable management.

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WS: How do you tailor your projects to meet the unique needs and goals of each campus, and what factors do you consider when implementing organic landcare practices?

MF: We understand that creating more sustainable campus grounds requires a multifaceted approach, which is why we offer several solutions, depending on what the aesthetic goals of the campus are!

‍Organic Pilot Program

‍Our Organic Pilot Program is for campuses looking to maximize the sustainability of their campus lawns. In undergoing our 2-3 year Organic Pilot Program, campus staff become well versed in organic practices and can manage campus green spaces without toxic pesticides employing practices that promote biodiversity, climate resilience, and water savings while achieving the same high-quality aesthetic the campus community is used to. Our Rewilding Projects are for campuses that want to take the next step in their sustainable grounds journey and are looking to re-landscape lawns or underutilized areas of campus with native plants.

For the Organic Pilot Program, campuses select several sites representative of the campus landscape. We provide support while the grounds team takes soil samples and sends them off to recommended labs for analysis. Our experts analyze the results of the soil samples to provide a unique, customized plan of action that will enhance soil health and help eliminate reliance on synthetic inputs. These pilot projects show that organic landcare is a feasible, cost-effective, and safe alternative to conventional landcare. We've worked to initiate 10+ pilot projects and are rapidly expanding our pilot programs to campuses across the nation.

‍Rewilding Projects

‍Re:wild Your Campus also goes beyond the realm of organic landcare by reimagining the very landscapes that shape our campuses. Through the strategic reintroduction of native plants, the restoration of natural habitats, and the creation of wildlife-friendly spaces, we transform manicured lawns or underutilized areas of campus into thriving ecosystems that support a multitude of species. Rewilding is the key to unlocking the potential for ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, and a profound reconnection with nature.

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WS: Could you elaborate on the educational programming and training offerings provided by Re:wild Your Campus? How do these initiatives contribute to raising awareness about pesticide use and environmental justice?

MF: In meeting the rising demand for resources about organizing, environmental justice, and organic landcare, we offer our Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp, a 2-day training course for emerging leaders looking to further their environmental and social justice advocacy. The Bootcamp takes a look at pesticides and their impacts on human and environmental health, all while providing participants with the advocacy and organizing skills to enact change in their communities. Participants walk away with a deeper understanding of toxic chemicals, what it means to rewild spaces, the intersection of human and environmental health, and how these issues tie back to social justice and climate change. A few of the courses in the bootcamp include The History of Pesticides, The Agrochemical Industry and Environmental Justice, How to Build a Campus Movement, and Campaign Strategies and Goals. We hope that this Bootcamp continues to be a space for learning and confidence building for students and community members to start rewilding campaigns on their campuses or in their communities. Bootcamps take place biannually in the summer and winter. Our next Bootcamp will take place in the summer of 2024 (Fill out this interest form to be in the loop about the next one!).

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WS: What strategies do you employ to engage groundskeepers and convince them of the benefits of transitioning to organic landcare methods?

MF: At RYC, we find common ground with groundskeepers who not only have different beliefs and backgrounds than us but are paid to do the exact thing we are asking them to stop doing: spray pesticides. My whole job involves working with decision-makers, from groundskeepers to administrators, who are skeptical of the efficacy of organic land management to achieve the same results as conventional land care. Yet, we can find common ground when it comes to the desire to care for the land in a way that is best for human health and the environment. Specifically, the launch of our Green Grounds Certification has been very helpful in achieving a shared goal with folks who have a different worldview.

At the University of Northern Iowa for example, pesticides had been a contentious issue, as activists before us had been pushing the grounds to eliminate the use, often doing it in a way that had an "us vs. them" approach. We met with the grounds team (who had opposite political views and "beliefs" around climate change) and explained that we have a certification that rewards the grounds team for the wonderful job they are doing, even if they are not fully at 100% organic yet. The grounds team felt seen and respected, and they were very excited to apply. After that, they inquired about reducing pesticide usage further, and now they are enrolled in our organic pilot project to convert four spaces on campus to organic. It simply took them feeling acknowledged for the hard work they were already doing, and quickly after that, they were eager to work with us to improve.  

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WS: What role do you believe campuses play in leading sustainability efforts and promoting environmental stewardship within their communities?

MF: There are nearly 4,000 college and university campuses in the United States--that is a significant amount of land and influence. These campuses can help promote biodiversity and climate resilience as we empower the next generation of leaders to revolutionize land care. As change is made on university campuses - which receive a fair amount of press and accolades in the public eye - this will begin the ripple effect as safer land management strategies are implemented on corporate campuses, in public parks, and eventually in our vast agricultural system.

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WS: Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for Re:wild your campus in the coming years, and how do you envision expanding its reach and impact?

MF: My goals and aspirations for Re:wild Your Campus are significant. Most US college campuses (over 4,000) spray toxic pesticides on their greenspaces. This means that almost every student in the United States is exposed to the harmful effects of these chemicals daily. With this status quo, it is only fitting that my goals for the direction of this organization are lofty. As the founder and director of RYC, my goals align with the urgency, necessity, and drastic change that needs to occur in this nation to protect the health of its student population, elevate the standard of public health, and help mitigate the pressing climate crisis.

Each goal is centered on reducing pesticide usage on college campuses. To ensure that every US school goes pesticide-free by 2030 and to shift the landcare paradigm in the United States for the benefit of the climate and all living beings, my aspirations are as follows:

‍Pilot Projects: RYC intends to expand our Pilot Project Program through the initiation of ten new pilot projects in 2024. Currently, RYC has seven active pilot projects at campuses across the country. By the end of 2024 we intend to increase that number to 17 in total. This goal is significant because an increase in pilot projects ensures that hundreds of thousands of US college students will be protected from the harmful side effects caused by toxic pesticides. Moreover, each vulnerable front-line groundskeeper will experience an elevated level of health and safety in their place of work.

‍Certification: By December 2024, RYC aims to certify 25 schools with our new Green Grounds Certification (GGC) program. Launched in the spring of 2023, the certification program has generated massive interest and sets the new national standard in organic landcare management. With seven schools already certified in our inaugural months, including UCLA, and with a handful of schools currently in the active application process, we are optimistic about certifying 25 schools by the end of the year. This goal is significant because the GGC also measures decreased pesticide application, water usage, and biodiversity. These factors contribute to sustainable, climate-friendly campus spaces. Each certification contributes to the mitigation of the pressing climate crisis.

‍Bootcamp: RYC intends to expand our accessible educational offerings to reach more students across the country by refining the curriculum to maximize impact and efficacy. Currently, RYC hosts a bi-annual Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp, open to all students and community members. This two-day workshop teaches students about the pesticide issue and equips them with tools to advocate for a reduction of pesticide use on their campus. RYC’s January 2024 bootcamp saw attendees from 70+ people and the goal for our Summer 2024 Bootcamp is to have at least 100+ people register. This goal of increasing accessibility ensures equity. Independent of a student’s background or economic situation, RYC is committed to empowering each US student to change the status quo and improve their campus environments. This goal gives agency to each student and community member by providing them with the tools necessary to speak up for the change they wish to see in their country and community.  

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Learn more about Re:wild Your Campus:

Rewildyourcampus.org

Re:wild Your Campus Instagram

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