^ An initiative by faculty and students to secure permanent protection for the most-critical forest and wetlands on the University's Rindge campus was selected as a case study for inclusion in the National Wildlife Federation's 2005 Campus Ecology Yearbook.

Franklin Pierce was recognized a second time, a year later, by the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program for a report-card assessment of the University's progress toward environmental sustainability. The assessment was conducted by a sustainable communities class led by Dr. Catherine Owen Koning, associate professor of environmental science.

^ Randy Wright identifies plants in a salt marsh.

^ Kaz conducts wetland fieldwork.

^ Franklin Pierce is a four-season university that enjoys beautiful crisp falls, snowy winters, welcome springs and warm summers.

^ The ECO club sponsored Earth Week in 2009, and also holds panel discussions and teach-ins with science experts who address environmental issues and global warming. The club also participates with Franklin Pierce University's Sustainability Council.

^ Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom. Just beyond your front door is a rich learning laboratory of 1,200 biodiverse acres that offer opportunity for exploration, study and fieldwork.

^ The Rindge campus is situated on the shore of Pearly Pond, a 142-acre, warmwater eutrophic lake with a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake contains a variety of plant and animal species whose health and population trends allow students to draw conclusions and test hypotheses about changing environmental conditions.

^ A Tropical Forest Ecology class (BI217) introduces students to the fundamental characteristics of intensely varied ecosystems. Through lectures, seminar, field exercises and field interpretation, students come to understand the dominant ecological forces that shape tropical forests.
Students also attempt to observe and understand how the many fascinating adaptations of tropical organisms reflect the evolutionary pressures found in the tropical forest environment. The course takes place in three seminars at Franklin Pierce and in three sites in Costa Rica.

^ Opportunities abound for recreation too. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from the Campus Recreation Department - at no cost.

^ European Buckthorn is an invasive upland plant species. Students have the opportunity to explore upland ecosystems on campus and determine how buckthorn is outcompeting native plants for nutrients, sunlight and moisture.