Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	67.45
Liaison	Benjamin Newton
Submission Date	March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Central Community 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

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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:

Central Community College is adjacent to: Lake Babcock Waterfowl Refuge-Lake Babcock, Lake North and adjoining lands in Platte County, Nebraska, are hereby designated and established as a refuge, within, on and over the specific area posted or to be posted. All hunting is hereby prohibited within such posted area. The operation of all vessels is hereby prohibited upon the waters of the refuge during the open waterfowl season, except that portion of the refuge known as Lake North where vessels may be operated at any time during the year for the purpose of pleasure or fishing.

Sandhill cranes migrate through central Nebraska twice a year and stop for food in cropland rented by the Central Community College Kearney Center. They also travel through Grand Island as well.

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:

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)

Tier I At-risk Species
Species Plants: Small White Lady’s-slipper

Animals: River Otter, Plains Pocket Mouse, Bell’s Vireo Interior Least Tern, Piping Plover, Whooping Crane, Blanding’s Turtle, Ottoe Skipper, Regal Fritillary Lake Sturgeon, Plains Topminnow

Terrestrial Communities: Eastern Riparian Forest Cottonwood-Peachleaf Willow Riparian Woodland Cottonwood Riparian Woodland
Cottonwood-Diamond Willow Woodland* Dry Upland Bur Oak Woodland* Sandbar Willow Shrubland Riparian Dogwood-False Indigobush Shrubland Buckbrush Shrubland Freshwater Seep* Eastern Cordgrass Wet Prairie* Northern Cordgrass Wet Prairie* Eastern Bulrush Deep Marsh* Cattail Shallow Marsh* Reed Marsh Eastern Pondweed Aquatic Wetland* Loess Mixed-grass Prairie* Eastern Sand Prairie* Sandhills Mesic Tall-grass Prairie* Sandhills Dune Prairie Perennial Sandbar Sandbar/Mudfla

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:

5 total Native pollinators gardens in Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, and Ord. Providing pollinator habitat throughout Central Nebraska flyway in a sea of commodity crops.

Pollinator insect data collection was done at the on the Central Community College Columbus campus pollinator garden by University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension and included supported from CCC students and faculty.

Each year, monarch caterpillars are ordered and raised by Environmental Sustainability Office (ESO) staff and interns, then released into the wild after emerging from the chrysalis and tagged.

https://www.cccneb.edu/pollinators

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:

The native insect data collection set out different colored water bowls to collect different types of pollinator insects. Different insects are attracted to different colors and then the insect populations next to the on campus pollinator garden are sent off for species identification, population, and endangered/vulnerable insects of priority importance to at risk plant and insect species. Results of the study was a partnership between Central Community College, University of Nebraska Lincoln Department of Entomology and Extension agency. Kelly Feehan from UNL Extension is the Principal Investigator on this assessment.

Monarch butterflies are raised and tagged before being released. The butterflies are released in the pollinator gardens on the three campuses.

Students and staff also participate in Bumblebee watch with Xerces Society, finding native and endangered bumblebees through field surveys.

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

The scope of the native insects assessment and monitoring involves differences in native insect populations in the Columbus pollinator garden on campus versus the turfgrass and other areas of the Columbus campus and is supported by the University of Nebraska Lincoln Entomology Department.

The monarch watch program is in collaboration with the University of Kansas. The monarchs are raised, tagged, and released on all three campuses. Then the monarchs are monitored through collection throughout their migration path in the United States and Mexico. Monarch watch at the University of Kansas has the database that tracks where our on campus monarchs are found throughout the monarch migration path.

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

We have pollinator gardens at all Central CC campuses and the Ord Center for a total of 5 gardens. These gardens provide critical native pollinator insect habitat on campus.

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:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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