When picturing a university campus, you likely think of beautiful and lush quads between dorms or outside the library. That is the layout of many universities in the United States, and CU Boulder is no exception. Throughout the university campus, there are countless grassy areas on almost all natural ground available. Contrary to the beautiful scenery it provides, it’s an embarrassment to the representation of CU. CU Boulder claims to be one of the most sustainable universities in the country. They pride themselves on their in-building energy use and composting and recycling processes, but the amount of water and energy used to maintain the lawns on campus is never considered or recognized. It is essential for students to have some outdoor area to study, but the amount of grass around far surpasses what is needed for recreation. Not only is there an excess of lawns but in every path and walkway, the slightest patch of trees contains grass on the ground. These areas get watered late into the fall and early in the spring even when the weather is not ideal for outdoor activity. The amount of grass and the extent to which it is maintained plainly shows that the greenery is for looks. It’s meant to make the campus look appealing, but it’s unnatural to Colorado land. It’s like putting on a trendy outfit you hate for an Instagram post; the photo may look good but it’s not a reflection of who you are. When you leave campus, the natural beauty of Colorado remains but the grassy lawns are nowhere to be found. Most students might not even notice the difference since the grass seems like it’s meant to be on campus. The grass is not only a waste of water and energy but it is extremely detrimental to the biodiversity in Boulder. Animals used to Colorado’s environment struggle to thrive in areas with flora not native to the area. It may look pretty, but it’s actually worse ecologically. This issue needs to be brought to CU’s attention and must be addressed. There are a lot of resolutions that don’t involve cutting down every single lawn on campus. Countless areas around campus do not require grass as nobody is using them. These should be reverted to the natural colorado ground. Native species like wild grass or some types of moss can be planted in these areas to keep the natural ‘look’. Some quads like the one at Williams Village are so large that they are almost never fully occupied. Some of that space could be turned into something else or just be confined to a smaller area. The most important change that needs to be made is substantially lowering the amount of energy being put into watering, cutting, and maintaining the grass. This is extremely unsustainable and, in my opinion, a complete waste of CU’s energy resources. It’s shameful to think that the school preaches such a high level of sustainability but is willing to do environmental harm just for the ‘look’ of campus. People come to CU Boulder because of its natural beauty and it is time for us to celebrate the nature of Colorado and not what is expected of a generic college campus.