When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Mom’s Immunity-Boosting Morning Water!

 

We recently reconnected with Mackenzie Feldman, co-director of Re:Wild Your Campus, the outgrowth of the organization she founded in 2017 to help her own campus, UC Berkeley, stop using toxic garden chemicals. She also co-wrote Groundbakers, a cookbook featuring 60 recipes for plant-based comfort food as a joint project with her mother, Kathy Feldman. The two offered to share their recipe for “Mom’s Immunity-Boosting Morning Water” to help you get a healthy start to your new year. Check out the recipe and purchase the cookbook here. Read our Q&A below to learn how Mackenzie Feldman is continuing her work to get toxic chemicals off school campuses.

 

 

Q&A with Mackenzie Feldman

We first got to know Mackenzie Feldman in 2019 and wrote this story for our Summer 2019 issue. At that time, she was an undergrad at Cal and a member of the school’s beach volleyball team. When she learned that toxic chemicals had been sprayed near the practice court, Mackenzie took quick action, starting the organization Herbicide-Free Cal. By the time she graduated, the transition from toxic chemicals on campus lawns to an organic approach was well under way and she was broadening her vision to take the initiative to other campuses.

Mackenzie’s expanded organization (which she co-directs) is called Re:Wild Your Campus. “With their unique landscapes often spanning thousands of acres, campuses are prime spaces for transformation,” she says. “They have the potential to set a bold precedent, challenging the outdated practices of chemical pesticides and monoculture landscapes, and leading the way toward more sustainable, ecologically diverse environments.”

Edible East Bay: What’s the current scope of Re:Wild Your Campus? How many campuses/students are active?

Mackenzie Feldman: We’ve worked with over 100 campuses at this point. You can check here to see our active current campaigns.

EEB: What are your goals/hopes for the organization in 2025?

MF: The ultimate goal for Re:Wild Your Campus is to ensure that every school in the nation is pesticide-free by 2030. To achieve this, we’ve developed three core programs: the Organic Pilot Program, the Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp, and the Green Grounds Certification.

The Organic Pilot Program helps campuses transition to organic, non-toxic land care by conducting soil testing and creating customized action plans. These campuses then shift to nature-based solutions like compost tea, overseeding, and aeration. The Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp is a free biannual program that empowers students and community members with the skills to advocate for safer, more sustainable land care. The next one is coming up January 21 and 22. The Green Grounds Certification recognizes campuses for their progress toward organic land care.

In 2025, we aim to launch 10 new pilot projects and to certify 25 schools and expand our educational offerings with regional bootcamps across the country. Schools already certified include UCLA, University of Texas Austin, Dell Medical School, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and others.

EEB: What’s going on now at UC Berke;ey?

MF: We still have an active campaign there. They just applied for our Green Grounds Certification so we will likely be certifying them at the Gold Level.

I can’t take credit for all the work happening at UC Berkeley, but some cool student-led projects include rewilding, planting native species and restoring ecosystems like creeks and other habitats. Re:wild Berkeley and the grounds team has collaborated with groups like the Native American Student Council on impactful projects, including native garden planting, showcasing the strong partnership between the university and its student community in promoting ecological stewardship.

Another notable example is the Pollinator Garden project at Haas School of Business. Again, we can’t take the credit for this, but Danner Doud-Martin, the Director of Haas Campus Sustainability and Advisory Board member of Re:Wild Your Campus has really spearheaded this, and I think it’s all part of this larger mission to make the grounds as sustainable as possible.

This project created a pollinator garden on the east side of the faculty building designed to support bees and other pollinators crucial to local biodiversity. Pollinators contribute to the propagation of flowers, crops, and trees, increasing biodiversity and fostering healthier ecosystems. This, in turn, supports more sustainable food systems and enhances nutritional diversity and security. The project also includes on-site beehives, which expand pollinator habitats while providing opportunities for scientific research into climate impacts. Students were actively involved by researching, conceptualizing, designing, and building a structure to attract and support native bees and other pollinators. This installation, crafted from recycled glass and local materials, educates the community, connects the Haas Pollinator Garden with the Haas Hives, and emphasizes the importance of biodiversity. This project highlights the university’s commitment to sustainability and its ability to leverage student creativity and innovation in environmental initiatives.

EEB: Do you feel that environmental issues are a priority with students on campuses?

MF: I think students are very concerned about environmental issues, but they aren’t always given the tools to get involved and channel their eco-anxiety into action. What I like about Re:wild Your Campus is that it empowers students to make tangible change right on their campus, where they spend so much time growing and learning. They can take these skills they learn on organizing and making change, so when they graduate, they are ready to make change in whatever community they are a part of.