American University in Cairo
OP-4: Ecologically Managed Grounds
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Yasmin
Mansour Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
4.1 Organic landscaping/grounds services
Online location of the institution’s IPM protocol:
Copy of the institution’s IPM protocol:
Do the institution’s landscaping/grounds services publish, on at least an annual basis, an inventory of the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides used on campus grounds?:
Online location of the institution’s chemical inventory:
Copy of the institution’s most recent chemical inventory:
Do the institution’s landscaping/grounds services manage one or more sites or pilot projects without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s organic landscaping/grounds policies and practices:
ABOUT
Carrying out the on-campus landscape design operations, applying all arrangements concerning planting preparations, and plants maintenance activities to impose the aesthetic of overlooking 260 acres; the green areas inside campus cover 61 acres (58 feddan), vegetation provision services for The American University in Cairo's (AUC) events and commencements, taking care of indoor plants in AUC offices and promoting campus sustainability by recycling the plants' residues in compost manufacturing. Applying irrigation water management that is determined according to the weather data, monitoring the plants' water requirements, and using the treated wastewater in irrigation. Moreover, conducting the pest control program covers in and outside the whole AUC premises in New Cairo against rodents, reptiles, crawls, and flying insects.
MISSION
The AUC Landscape Department provides professional landscape design, installation, and maintenance, using sound environmental practices. AUC's Landscape Department and the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) team of professionals have a unique experience combining the fields of art and science into landscape environments that leave the AUC community with a sense of pride.
VISION
The AUC Landscape Department aims to grow and expand throughout the campus. In order to accomplish our vision and better serve our community, employees are provided with the latest equipment and technology in the landscape. The department applies general safety precautions and provides personal protective equipment at no cost to all employees to guarantee their safety while landscaping.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Carrying out the on-campus landscape design operations
- Applying all arrangements concerning planting preparations, and plant maintenance activities to impose the aesthetic of overlooking 260 acres; the green areas inside campus cover 61 acres (58 feddan)
- Providing vegetation provision services for the whole AUC’s events including the commencements ceremonies
- Taking care of the indoor plants in AUC offices
- Promoting campus sustainability by recycling the plants’ residues in composting manufacturing
- Applying irrigation water management that is determined according to the weather station data to calculate the plants’ water requirements. Moreover, using the treated wastewater in irrigating the landscape
- Conducting disinfection activities against COVID-19. Moreover, carrying out the pest control program that covers the whole AUC in both Tahrir and New Cairo premises. In addition to the New Cairo and Maadi housing against rodents, reptiles, crawls, and flying insects
- Applying the eco-garden concept through promoting campus environmental sustainability, keeping the ecological balance between predator insects and pests via applying biological control applications and usage of organic substances for resisting plant infections while decreasing the usage of toxic pesticides
- Participating in the UI Green Metric in coordination with the AUC Office of Sustainability including the landscape carbon footprint data. The 2021 UI Green Metric World University rankings results specify the AUC ranked first place in Egypt and Africa for the 2021 UI-Green Metric ranking. AUC has improved its ranking in the UI Green Metric 2021, placing 159 world's most sustainable universities out of 956 institutions worldwide, up from 323 out of 912 institutions last year
- Instructing the landscape activities on campus for students whether AUC students or else by practical lectures and exploring tours to demonstrate our role in promoting the campus sustainability in ord to raise their awareness
SAFETY MEASURES
The Landscape Department applies general safety precautions and provides personal protective equipment to all employees to guarantee their safety, at no cost. The personal protective equipment provided by the landscape includes:
- Safety gloves (heavy, rubber)
- Full face shields/masks
- Safety shoe
- T-shirt (Long sleeve)
- Cap
- The required tools for each process
LATEST PROJECT
Desert Development Demonstration and Training Project
In September 1978, the International Workshop on Applications of Science and Technology for Desert Development convened in Cairo under the auspices of The American University in Cairo (AUC). In its final session, the participants unanimously adopted a proposal for the establishment of a Desert Development Demonstration and Training Project (DDDC) at AUC and urged support of this project by the governments of Egypt and of the US as well as that of various national and international institutions. The Desert Development Demonstration and Training Project was elevated in 1985 to the level of an independent unit within the University and renamed the Desert Development Center.
Fundamental to the DDC's integrated approach is the philosophy of:
- Treating the desert as a desert. This means no silt, clay or manure from other areas is added. DDC also stipulates that desert research and development programs should be technologically feasible, economically viable, socially acceptable, and achieve environmental sustainability.
- The financial sponsors and donors for the DDC research journey from 1983 to 2011 were: the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), N.A.R.B Foundation, Ford Foundation, Alexandria University, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.
The DDC has two research stations:
1. South Tahrir Research Station – Total area 575 feddans
2. Sadat City Research Station – Total area 25 feddans
For more information on the project please visit this Link: Desert Development Project
For more information on AUC Landscape please visit this Link: AUC LANDSCAPE
Have the institution’s landscaping/grounds services eliminated their use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides?:
Online resource affirming the organic status of the institution’s landscaping/grounds services:
Document affirming the organic status of the institution’s landscaping/grounds services:
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
4.2 Ratio of ecologically managed green space to total managed green space
Area protected or restored:
Area of tree canopy:
Area managed organically:
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following four figures:
Ratio of tree canopy to total managed green space:
Ratio of areas managed organically to total managed green space:
Points earned for indicator OP 4.2:
Optional documentation
For the Online location of the institution’s chemical inventory check the link provided and open the carbon footprint report pulished in April 2023
Additional documentation for this credit:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.