The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater campus garden team will be recognized today at the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents meeting in Madison.

That is because UW-Whitewater’s campus garden initiative is a recipient of the 2024 Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents Diversity Award.

Sustainability Coordinator Wes Enterline says the award recognizes individuals, departments, programs, units and/or teams for their exceptional efforts in fostering greater equity and diversity across their institutions and communities.

Enterline says they started out more than 10 years ago as a way to address food insecurity.

The garden has also educated UW-Whitewater students — often those who come from a disadvantaged background or who grew up in urban areas where there is little to no produce grown — about environmental sustainability and lifelong gardening skills.