Letter to the editor: How green walls can improve student performance

All college students want good grades the easiest way possible. Why not study smarter instead of harder and by supporting green walls in campus buildings?

What Are Green Walls?
Green walls are vertical gardens that are installed on pre-existing walls and surfaces. They consist of pre-vegetated blankets or bags mounted to a wall in planters or other holders. An array of plant life can thrive in these gardens such as shrubs, ground cover, ferns, and many other leafy plants. Green Walls are less water-intensive than traditional gardenscapes, require little maintenance once installed, and can act as a buffer between indoor and outdoor temperatures. The presence of a green wall not only saves water, time, and energy, but also creates an aesthetic environment and promotes student well-being.

Benefits of Green Walls:
1. Enhance the Learning Environment:
Green walls enhance the learning environment by creating a stimulating indoor space that decreases attention fatigue by connecting students to nature.

2. Energy Efficiency
Campus building efficiency would benefit from green wall installation due to decreased wall temperature fluctuation. Plants create shade on wall surfaces and through evapotranspiration (plants & soil breathing) they reduce air temperature around wall surfaces. Air conditioner system usage would decrease as a result, and energy savings would increase.

3. Improving Air Quality:
Building air quality would increase with the addition of green walls, which would improve student, staff, and faculty health. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis and absorb indoor air pollutants through the soil and leafy surfaces. Installing green walls would also give Utah State a competitive advantage to prospective students as it would indicate USU’s commitment to sustainability and enhance the visual aspect of indoor spaces.

How You Can Help
Many universities across America have already built green walls for their students, staff, and faculty to enjoy. We want the same thing for our university! USU’s landscaping department agreed to install a green wall last year but it hasn’t happened yet. To confirm their commitment, we will propose another plan to install a green wall, but we need data.

Here’s how you can help us:
– Fill out our survey. Student interest is a huge deciding factor for whether or not the plan gets implemented. QR code at the top links to the survey.
– Tell your friends about green walls. The more people that know, the more likely it is to happen.
– Email USU landscaping to express your support! Email shane.richards@usu.edu