A number of the Department of Geographical Sciences' students and faculty strongly oppose the proposed Campus development of Guildford Woods to build town homes. A recent opinion piece from many concerned Faculty outlining their position was recently published by the Washington Post. In the face of a changing climate and with a significant portion of our faculty and staff working day-in and day-out to combat deforestation and its devastating environmental impacts, the possibility of losing close to one-third of campus forest cover raised serious concerns among the UMD community.

In the Washington Post opinion piece "The University of Maryland rightly paused its plan to clear an urban forest" faculty praise UMD's administration for pausing development plans, noting that "Commendably, the recent U-Md. announcement indicated that instead of pursuing the Western Gateway Project now, the university will focus on an alternative transit-oriented redevelopment site to build critically needed graduate housing. This is welcome news, indicating the university’s willingness to listen to the concerns of our broader campus community and, hopefully, openness to preserving Guilford Woods in perpetuity."

GEOG faculty emphasize how urban forests "provide environmental and human health benefits that are well-documented. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, improve air quality, conserve soil, reduce stormwater runoff, reduce urban heat island effects, support wildlife and other biodiversity and improve mental and physical health. Guilford Woods, in particular, contains the headwaters of Guilford Run, which feeds into the Anacostia River, providing benefits to local and downstream communities." These benefits are among the many reasons that it is imperative to preserve as much forest cover as possible, especially given the demonstrable increase in extreme weather events caused by human-driven climate change.

Visit the Washington Post website to read the full opinion piece for a complete perspective on the importance of preserving Guildford Woods.