Supporting the Environment
Our grounds department pays special attention to ensuring that the species of plants that are added to our campus help to support the local ecosystem, rather than harm it. There is a strong focus on planting non-invasive, native and drought tolerant plants which require little water consumption and can thrive in our natural ecosystem. We also pride ourselves on our massive transition towards electric, rechargeable battery powered tools such as hedgers, mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers.
Special Projects
Indigenous Circle Garden Learn more about our Indigenous Circle Garden
McMaster is home to a beautiful Indigenous Circle garden, a place for reconciliation and to share the value of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge throughout our institution. The Indigenous Garden was built by our own grounds team and is the largest hand made gardening project to date.
Native Bee Garden Learn more about native pollinators at McMaster
As a Bee City Campus, McMaster is home to many spaces for pollinators, including a dedicated native bee garden. The new bee garden, built by the grounds crew in collaboration with Nature @ McMaster and various academic Faculties, is specifically designed to support ground-nesting bees, with sand, wood, shrubs and more to support the habitation needs of the many species finding homes there.
Trees at McMaster Explore our interactive tree map
McMaster is home to many greenspaces and healthy trees all over campus. Much effort is placed on caring for these trees, which help clean our air, provide habitats for local wildlife, and beautify our grounds. When a healthy tree must be removed from an area for construction purposes, our grounds crew does the utmost to ensure that the tree can be replanted elsewhere, on top of planting new ones.
Outdoor Amenities Check out our map of amenities
Our McMaster staff work daily to maintain good function and appearance of our outdoor amenities, such as bike racks, benches, picnic tables, waste bins and more. All outdoor waste bins are checked daily and changed out, and recycling is handled carefully to avoid contamination.
For information on where to find these amenities, use our interactive map.
Resources
Service Levels Learn More
Our grounds crew works year round to maintain the best care for our outdoor spaces and amenities. Litter pickup is completed five times a week in spring, summer, and fall, and only reduces to three times a week in the winter. Through the winter months, Grounds staff work on call to respond promptly to snow removal requests at all hours.
McMaster uses APPA guidelines, a rating system for the level of care provided to a certain area. We strive for the highest service levels for all areas under our care.
How to Make a Service Request Submit a service request
You can make a service request for maintenance on campus for any department, including Grounds. Grounds will respond to service requests for tasks such as removing dead wood or other objects obstructing paths or roads, removing snow or salting ice that is obstructing an accessibility path, de-clogging drainage grates, and removing any other hazardous overgrowth interfering with the function or safety of a space.