| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.02 |
| Liaison | Rob Williams |
| Submission Date | July 2, 2024 |
Capilano University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.88 / 2.00 |
Rob
Williams Project Manager Facilities |
Total campus area:
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed organically, without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides | 0 Hectares |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 0.70 Hectares |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0.10 Hectares |
| Total area of managed grounds | 0.80 Hectares |
If the total area of managed grounds is less than the total campus area, provide:
The areas of managed lands indicated above includes only the planting beds and lawn areas. All building footprints, hard surfaces (roads, parking lots, etc) and the forested areas have been excluded from the calculation.
Organic program
If reporting an organic program, provide:
Not Applicable.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program
If reporting an IPM program, provide:
A brief description of the IPM program:
The organization does not have a formal IPM program. However, the below IPM principals are applied to the university lawns and planting areas
- use of approximately 80% organic fertilizers.
- Rotating areas for invasive weed pulls
- Nemotode treatment for lawn care
- Removal of pest ridden lawns and replacement with pest resistant plants.
- BTK treatment for brucespan worm.
- Active planting of native trees and drought tolerant plants whenever possible.
Optional Fields
The university has actively introduced several pollinator gardens in place of lawns to promote insect and butterfly biodiversity. The pollinator gardens utilise drought tolerant species and serve to:
- increase biodiversity
- reduce maintenance and requirement for inorganic fertilizer
- increase fire control through specific plant species
- reduce requirement for pest control
In addition, the university conducts three invasive plant pulls a year and two native planting days are usually incorporated into the plant pulls. Small green roofs have also been introduced within the community planting area and within the childcare center. The university has also integrated landscape management with applicable academic courses. Through this integration, students are able to obtain practical experience in the use of landscape managment and horticulture.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The university actively manages its irrigation systems to prevent use when not required. Due to the geographic position of the university, the campus receives high levels of natural rainfall, reducing the requirement for mechanical irrigation.
To reduce storm run off, the university campus had introduced planting beds and bioswales to promote natural infiltration into the ground. An area of natural wetland is also present within the campus grounds and sustains a variety of plant and wildlife, including mallards and frogs. The wetland is closely managed by the grounds team and receives run off water from the surrounding woodland and building. The campus also has a high degree of green space due to the presence of on site forested spaces.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
All the leaf material from the forest is mulched and used on site. Wood chips are also generated and used on site from small trees and forest materials. Invasive materials are used for weaving and other waste material is used for making fences and artwork.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
The forests on campus provide significant shading and have been used to accomodate outdoor classrooms, community spaces and childcare amenities. Purposeful planting and the natural forest have also been utilised to provide shading for hard landsaped areas which would otherwise heat up during the summer. Tree planting and the natural forest provide shelter from the wind and are actively managed to mitigate fall risk.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
The university is situated within a Fire Control Zone and consquently adopts Fire Smart procedures to mitigate the risk of natural and wildfires. Fire Smart procedures include tree removal where required and the pruning of trees to a 20ft canopy. Sap producing plants are removed from close proximity to buildings as is the use of bark mulch. To reduce the impact of colder months, lava rock is utilised to reduce slip hazards as is environmentall sensitive salting.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.