This past week, Florida Gulf Coast University Biology faculty noticed artificial turf waiting to be installed at the construction site located in the center of the main academic buildings. Faculty say they were not explicitly notified of this specific project, nor were they aware of any voting process regarding it. The replacement of real grass with artificial turf in the campus core is harmful to us and the environment and goes against the values FGCU was founded on. 

Biology faculty say that the project would remove biodiversity, increase ground temperatures to unbearable levels, and produce microplastics that are cancer-causing and can enter the nearby water systems. Students and faculty also utilize the campus core to study our environment for research and class curriculums.

While the artificial turf  project may currently be limited to the area between Marieb Hall and Edwards Hall, we ask the Physical Plant and Facilities to postpone the project until the FGCU community can discuss the "environmental, health, maintenance, financial, and educational implications of replacing living landscapes with synthetic turf across one of the University's most visible public spaces." Any consequences of this project need to be discussed before the project can continue, especially if the project area is to be expanded. 

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