| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.54 |
| Liaison | Sarah Fortner |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Carleton College
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 2.00 |
Alexandra
Miller Sustainability Program Coordinator Energy and Sustainability |
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
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 | 0 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) | 1,040 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 1,040 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):
Cowling Arboretum
Leased Farm Land
Buffer Zones, which are woodlands and prairie
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
A copy of the IPM plan or program:
A brief description of the IPM program:
Although there is no written IPM plan, Carleton grounds does follow certain protocol to ensure that as few synthetic chemicals are needed as possible. This includes keeping herbicides off of Carleton's main campus, and converting grounds so that they have lower intensity management.
The Arb does not use organic herbicides and fertilizers. When first planting trees we add a commercial fertilizer tablet to each tree planted. The number of trees the fertilizer is used on is fairly small - the 250 that we plant with the freshman in the fall and the 50 we do at Earth Day each spring. That is the only fertilizing we do for trees.
For herbicides - we do use them and none of them are organic. We are very limited and careful in our use but have to use conventional herbicides to get the work done.
We do not have a website that specifically details our herbicide or fertilizer practices:https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/species/invasives/
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
The Carleton Arboretum practices sustainable land management with things like prescribed burns to help maintain the local species and promote sustainable growth. We also use goats to eat invasive species in specific areas of the arb. We do not have a certified organic program for managing the Arb at this time. More information about the Arb can be found here: https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/management/
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
Carleton College has four landscape zones with a design strategy for each zone. The design strategy in each zone includes a focus to feature and consist primarily of plant species native to Rice County and southeastern Minnesota with the understanding that responsible and sustainable land practices favor the selection and predominant use of fully hardy species that are native and/or adapted to the region.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
During restoration of green space and landscape zones we have been conscious of how water moves and where it is going. Our goals in may instances are to capture the water for infiltration purposes. Not all areas is this practice possible but we are trying to integrate infiltration and reuse into our restoration projects.
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
In general, the mower decks mulch the grass clippings well and the organic matter and nutrients are returned to the turf, unless an area gets away from the Grounds department. Then, the grass clippings are collected and placed in a campus compost pile. All other organic yard waste goes into this pile as well, excluding woody materials.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
The Grounds Department is gradually decreasing the total area of non-recreational mowed turf landscape, replacing this area with natural landscapes.
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 Grounds department attempts to remove snow as it falls to reduce the need for using deicing chemicals and sand. Carleton also pre-treats high traffic areas with a moderate amount of deicer to avoid snow pack and the need for larger amounts of deicer. Carleton College also uses only about a 20% salt content sand/salt mixture to tread most of the road/walkways.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.