Overall Rating	Silver - expired
Overall Score	60.91
Liaison	Sarah Fortner
Submission Date	March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

Carleton College
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Alexandra Miller Sustainability Program Coordinator Energy and Sustainability

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Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Carleton owns McKnight prairie a protected 33.5 acre plot of land 7 miles from the college. Unlike the surrounding areas, it has been virtually undisturbed by agriculture and other development and represents original prairie.) A conservation easement owned by the State of Minnesota protects this property in perpetuity, restricting any damaging activities such as building structures, cultivation, mining, or alteration of the topography. This site is recognized by the State of Minnesota and The Nature Conservancy as an area of biodiversity significance.

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

Carleton has done surveys and has some listed species, but in general, this type of information is not revealed publicly due to concerns about over-collecting, etc. The DNR generally only reveals to the county level. The Arb and McKnight are small enough that even knowing some of these are on our land would provide too much information.

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

Information is compiled on the Cowling Arboretum website: http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/habitats/, http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/species/, http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/management/) McKnight Prairie is a highly diverse remnant tallgrass prairie. Two federally listed plant species occur in good numbers at McKnight Prairie, Lespedeza leptostaychea (Prairie Bush Clover) and Besseya bullii (Kittentails) and two state listed animals, the Speyeria idalia (Regal Fritillary Butterfly) and Ammodramus henslowii (Henslow's Sparrow) are found there. While the Cowling Arboretum is primarily a restoration of native plant communities there are fragments of original vegetation including oak savanna, floodplain and upland forest, and marsh. Several state listed plants, Carex conjuncta (Jointed Sedge), Carex grayii (Gray's Sedge), and Scutellaria ovata (Forest Skullcap), as well as three state listed animals,Clemmys insculpta (Wood Turtle), Microtus ochrogaster (Prairie Vole) and Henslow's Sparrow are found in the Cowling Arboretum.

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Yes, these assessments are always ongoing since we routinely find new species. We have excellent data on plants, birds and small mammals. Invertebrate assessment is less complete but some groups have been well surveyed.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

The Carleton Arboretum Staff is responsible for conducting these assessments. The scope is for the arb only.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

Programs are summarized on the Cowling Arboretum website (http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/management/) and a copy of the Arboretum Strategic Plan is available upon request. Further details are as follows: Carleton College Cowling Arboretum consists of approximately 800 acres of land and has been a State Game Refuge for decades. Restoration projects over the past 20 years have focused on creating large blocks of native plant community types including floodplain forest, upland forest, oak savanna and tall grass prairie. The Cole Naturalist Program trains students in natural history and nature interpretation and provides opportunities for students to lead field trips for the College and local community. There are also workshops and programs focused on prescribed fire, invasive shrub control, and wildlife management

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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