Dickinson College
OP-9: Landscape Management

The 120.921 represents vegetated grounds on Carlisle campus only. This excludes buildings, sidewalks, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces. The 90.0 acres is the acreage of our Boiling Springs farm that is in active Dickinson management (excludes leased land). The total areas of managed grounds is the main campus, but not including the College Farm.

As a USDA Certified Organic agricultural program, the farm does not use synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Instead, insects are controlled biologically and manually. To prevent the spread of plant diseases, the College Farm maintains a vigorous crop rotation and takes preventative measures to keep unwanted diseases at bay. The College Farm places a strong emphasis on plant diversity. By creating a diverse agricultural landscape, we help minimize the presence of unwanted diseases and work with the resources on hand to sustain a balanced ecosystem.

1) Grounds personnel have strictly limited the use of pesticides within the landscape, particularly neonicotinoids because of the possible harm to pollinators. Pest thresholds are set and monitored for infestation. If pesticide use is necessary, personnel will spot treat where possible before applying more broadly.

2) For grub control at athletic fields, turf is lifted and grub amounts monitored on a scheduled basis. For a number of years, purple martin birdhouses have been raised at the athletic fields. The birds eat insects that contribute to the turf grub population, particularly after a mowing. This has substantially cut down on pesticide use and turf loss.

3) Grounds personnel use the most environmentally friendly pesticides on the market. All personnel are Pennsylvania registered applicators and are continually educated in the most sustainable application techniques available, including no spraying when pollinators are present and limiting drift. If harsher chemicals are used, they are used sparingly. Example: Neonicotinoids are used only on wind-pollinated plants.

4) Timing and efficiency are important in the application of pesticides. A properly timed pre-emergent and mulch cut down on weeds and extra weeding time. Hand weeding in perennial beds and direct injection for trees are the preferred choices.

5) The use of organic IPM, such as water force for the removal of aphids, and growing specific flowering plants to attract beneficial insects is used, particularly in the vegetable gardens. Planting trees and shrubs for birds, and using water features to attract them are also done around campus.

6) When applicable, narrow spectrum pesticides are preferred, as opposed to selecting broad-spectrum pesticides. This allows us to preserve beneficial insects that may be present in the landscape, and truly provides a measure of control to only the detrimental insects.

7) New practices for tree pesticide application are available and being utilized. New technology allows us to inject the materials into the vascular system of the trees, which can deliver the materials directly to the tissues where insects are feeding, or diseases are present. By using this technology, there are no drift management issues; it is safer for the applicator, and for the public.

1) Plant Stewardship: Although Dickinson College is moving toward native landscapes, it is worth noting that our traditional landscapes of campus “greens” shaded by tall, old trees highlight an exceptionally beautiful urban campus that reflects the pride of 240 years in existence.

a. An inventory of all the trees on campus has been created by the college arborist, not just to record species and maintain health/maintenance records, but also with the goal of possibly becoming an arboretum in the future.
b. Sustainable turf management includes keeping clippings on lawns to promote healthier turf and soil, and mowing to a height deemed healthy for turf. Mowing frequency depends on the time of year and done so that about one third of the leaf blade is removed at each mowing, thus reducing stress on the grass, and the chance for disease. Mower blades are sharpened frequently to ensure a clean cut.
c. Athletic fields: Turf is monitored to keep thatch at ¼ to ½ inches, which ensures adequate water/nutrient infiltration.
d. Athletic fields: Due to the stress of compaction, aerification is done on an annual basis to obtain proper air and water infiltration.
e. Battery powered blowers are used to cut down on fuel emissions. Larger mowers are fuel-injected, using less fuel than regular mowers with the added benefit of having more power.
f. Yearly fertilization is typically done with two or three applications depending on the area and plants involved. Much of the fertilizing is done in the fall using a slow-release fertilizer to cut down on excess nutrients leaking into ground water, and to prepare plants for winter and a healthy spring. Properly timed fertilization in spring and summer promotes healthy growth. Athletic fields use a nitrogen-based fertilizer up to three times a year to keep turf healthy for the rigors of constant use.
g. Using seed cultivars that are disease resistant cuts down on fungicide use.
h. Using ecotype plants more adapted to our environment prevents excessive plant loss.

a. Rain gardens filled with native plants have been installed around campus to help control rainwater run-off into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. More rain gardens will be installed in the future.

b. Curbside retention basins were installed around the Kline Athletic Center and along abutting streets to control and direct storm water into a submerged holding tank for ground water control.

c. The irrigation systems at the athletic fields are checked on a weekly basis to ensure proper operation and to maintain optimum moisture levels for turf. Systems are controlled to prevent water use at night or on rainy/cloudy days.

d. Drought-tolerant native plants are used to cut down on water use.

e. We have rain barrels installed at several buildings on campus.

f. At the College Farm, rain water is collected in a retention pond on the property and used to irrigate crops as needed. The pond water is pumped to the fields using a solar powered irrigation pump.

g. We do not install or use potable water irrigation systems for buildings on the main campus. We only have irrigation on our non-synthetic turf athletic fields. Our landscape design for new buildings or major renovations includes drought-tolerant plants, typically native plants or plants that we know are sustainable in our climate. Also, bio-swales, rain gardens and rain water harvesting systems assist in maintaining our landscapes without mechanical irrigation systems which use potable water.

Composting is done on a large scale at the Dickinson farm. Food debris is picked up at various locations around campus and transported to the farm. Completed compost is then used on the farm, at the community garden and at other areas around campus. We have a debris lot on campus for the collection of non-food organic materials. This material from the college’s debris lot is also used as mulch or top-dressing for the community garden and flowerbeds.

On campus, we grind leaves and plant debris into compost material that is used in campus landscapes and flower beds. We also have a woodchipper, which allows us to make woodchips from tree limbs, which we use on campus and in the Community Garden on campus. This assists in weed control.

The college is committed to the LEED program in its buildings and adheres to similar sustainability values in its landscape. This includes materials, lighting, and maintenance being incorporated into all design. Dickinson approved formal Landscape Design Guidelines in 2014 that outline extensive energy-efficiency concepts and strategies.

Our landscape design strategy reduces areas of grass on campus, and we have incorporated native planting beds and rain gardens instead. This results in greater efficiency in terms of mowing.

We have started to incorporate battery-powered landscaping maintenance equipment on campus to include mowers, riding movers, leaf blowers, and more. This equipment is far more efficient, environmentally friendly, and less expensive to fuel and maintain than gas-powered equipment.

The college strategizes and prioritizes trees into all landscape designs and maintenance endeavors. One emphasis of or planning includes considerations of shading buildings to reduce energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

For snow and ice removal, mechanical means such as plows and shovels are used first (depending on the amount of snow), followed by the monitoring of sunlight and temperature to melt what is left on sidewalks and parking lots. Ice-melting compounds are used only when necessary for the safety of the Dickinson community.

In 2022 we rehabilitated and expanded a native wildlife habitat on the east side of Kaufman Hall. This area is a "field study" area for students and faculty and also has a community engagement component, since a local gardening club helps to maintain it. Introducing our landscaping strategies to the curriculum is an important aspect of our landscaping practices.

During the past 13 years, the college landscape has been changing to reflect important sustainability goals, which include a campus-wide dedication to hands-on sustainability education and stewardship. To reflect these goals, landscape design and management has focused not only on the health of plants but on the areas that sustain them – from soil to water management, to insects and other wildlife, and to how the landscape is viewed. The Dickinson landscape has become a living laboratory, enhancing what is taught in the classroom with a hands-on, real-world experience.