| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.97 |
| Liaison | Stephen Ellis |
| Submission Date | Aug. 2, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Boston University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.23 / 2.00 |
Stephen
Ellis Director, Data Analytics BU Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
193
Acres
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach | 17 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials | 0 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 58 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 75 Acres |
If the total area of managed grounds is less than the total campus area, provide:
We calculated the total managed area using GIS and excluded buildings, parking lots, and other non-vegetated areas from our total estimate. We use then used the total area of Boston University's (BU) campus as calculated in our GIS process and normalized it against the "Total campus area" reported in IC-2: Operational Characteristics.
As stated in IC-2 BU's Climate Action Plan redefined the campus area to include all property owned globally which largely affects the change in BU's campus area number for fiscal year 2018. The breakdown of BU's campus acreage are as followed:
• Charles River: 111 acres
• Medical: 18 acres
• Tanglewood: 64 acres
• Holliston Animal Farm: 35 acres (excluded from IPM calculations)
• Sargent: 673 acres (excluded from IPM calculations)
• Fenway: 5 acres (excluded from IPM calculations)
BU acquired Fenway Campus (formerly Wheelock College) in the last month of the fiscal year, therefore its 5 acres are excluded from reporting on this credit in this submission. Additionally, Sargent is left off of the "Total campus area" seeing as it is a forest that is not regularly managed or maintained from the area of managed grounds; and Holliston Animal Farm is left off of the "Total campus area" seeing as it is experimental agricultural land.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program
22.67
If reporting an IPM program, provide:
A brief description of the IPM program:
Boston University’s Integrated Pest Management program sets thresholds, monitors for the presence of pests, and identifies prudent prevention and control methods. The program includes horticultural oil applied to trees and shrubs in late winter and early spring. Spray applications for shrubs and other plants are utilized only when necessary. When applying fertilizer and pesticides, the University operates under strict guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture.
Organic Program
0
If reporting an organic program, provide:
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Optional Fields
BU's New Balance field was designed to use native plants and species, as well as some non-native, ecologically appropriate plants. Native species and ecologically appropriate plants are used when possible. BU does not plant invasive species and their presence is controlled.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
Recent projects, such as the construction of New Balance Field, were designed to have rainwater reclamation systems. Water reclaimed at the New Balance Field is used for irrigation.
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
Boston University began composting yard waste in 2008. Since 2012 BU has composted 100% of its yard waste from the Charles River Campus. Waste composting from tree removal (typically after major storm events) is being explored. Those practices are applied all over campus.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
In new construction, green roofs, water harvesting for irrigation of surrounding landscapes, planting of new trees and vegetation are considered and adopted as appropriate.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):
The University uses a variety of snow and ice removal strategies with a range of sustainability benefits and challenges:
1) Environmentally preferable magnesium chloride is used on entrances, steps, and sidewalks.
2) Salt is used on driveways, and parking lots.
3) Pre-application is limited to reduce runoff of un-dissolved melting agents.
4) No sand is used, to eliminate the environmental impacts of disposal.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.