Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.37
Liaison Benjamin Newton
Submission Date March 3, 2020

STARS v2.2

Central Community College
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.79 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area:
263.24 Acres

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 77 Acres
Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed 0 Acres
Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices 118.75 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 195.75 Acres

A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:

Retention pond- 3 acres, 55.75 farm land, remaining land managed by outside contractor at satellite facilities and building footprints.


Percentage of grounds managed organically:
39.34

A brief description of the organic landscape management program:

75 acres on the Hastings campus does not use any fertilizers or pesticides and is just mowed. No fertilizers or pesticides have ever been used in this area. All three pollinator gardens do not use pesticides as well as a native plant plot in Columbus for a total of 2 acres.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
0

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
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A brief description of the IPM program:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:

81.5 acres on all campuses is non-irrigated


A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
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A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:

A college campus is more than a collection of buildings, parking lots and green spaces; it supports intellectual and social interactions among the people within those spaces. Because of this, the campus landscape should include outdoor use areas that encourage the campus community – students, faculty and staff – to engage with the natural environment and with each other. These outdoor spaces, and the experiences they offer, help to support the learning process, giving the campus its sense of place.

The Grand Island Campus sustainable landscape master plan was completed from 2013-2015. Implementing the master plan will improve the health of land, water, and everyone on campus. The plan recommends improving soil characteristics, protecting soils during construction, and changing plant species and maintenance practices to improve land health. These actions will improve the ability of soils to absorb and release moisture and support increased micronutrient uptake in plants.

Better matching vegetation to local soil types, regional conditions, and on-going climate change will result in less time and money spent irrigating and frequently mowing large areas of the campus.

Primary beneficiaries of improved land and water health on campus are its staff and students. They will benefit from the reduced use of chemicals and air pollution associated with landscape maintenance. A visually, more diverse campus landscape, served by an interconnected system of walking trails, will encourage people to spend more time outdoors – experiencing the benefits of active lifestyles while being exposed to reduced levels of herbicides and pesticides.

Pollinator Habitats

CCC recognizes the important role that pollinators play in our lives. Since 2017, CCC has increased the number of native plants across its campuses and centers through the installation of pollinator gardens on all three campuses. Two of the gardens, Columbus and Grand Island (pictured below), were made possible through a grant from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

The pollinator plants are native to Nebraska, making them hardy, low-maintenance and able to endure brisk winters and stifling summers. The plants bloom throughout three seasons to attract pollinator insects.


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program 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.