Eastern Mennonite University
OP-9: Landscape Management

1148830 sq ft (26.4 acres) of impervious surface according to engineering survey completed for municipal stormwater utility fee program. 225,000 sq ft on the hill and 50,000 sq ft below the turf field minimally managed as a meadow and riparian buffer zones (6.3 acres). 441,200 sq ft (10.1 acres) urban forest conservation area minimally managed for downed trees and wood chips added to paths (excluding space around cabin, pavilion and dam that is mowed)

Areas are monitored regularly by Grounds staff during mowing and maintenance cycles, especially near graduation and homecoming events. Plants are generally only treated with control substances when significant damage is certain and has the potential to spread to other plants. Often times trees and plantings are intentionally not treated and later replaced with more robust varieties. Sports fields are treated with chemical fertilizers and grub control pesticides for prevention and are not included in the IPM acreage. Campus lawns are only sprayed when pest thresholds are exceeded and then usually during extended academic breaks so that students have limited contact with these chemicals around campus.

Wherever possible, the University uses native plants in its habitat and landscaping. The University has introduced a variety of native trees and plants around the various dormitories to reduce water runoff and increase the natural habitat surrounding the dorms. The 3 LEED Gold dormitories all received credit for SSc5.1 in Site Sustainability for our use of native plants around those buildings. The university's 10 acre urban forest has received grants for ongoing complete floristic surveys of the conservation-managed woods, including one of the oldest stands of White Oak in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

When performing lawn care, the grounds crews use recycling blades on the lawnmowers so the lawn trimmings are spread back onto the lawn when the grass is mowed. This recycles the lawn trimmings and allows the ground to be re-fertilized by the grass trimmings. More than 95% of yard waste is recycled. When mulching, the University reuses mulch generated from its own arbor waste to spread on flower beds and campus vegetable garden paths. All waste that is not directly spread back onto the grounds is chipped and added as bulk carbon in the University Compost Program, which eventually goes to campus gardens as compost. EMU also allows local tree-trimmers to dump large quantities of chips on campus for the Grounds to use for mulching in wooded areas.

Snow and ice is primarily removed by hand shovels, plowed blade, and sweepers. Snow blowers also are used in heavy snows to increase infiltration and reduce run-off. Whenever possible, snow in parking lots and sidewalks is plowed either onto the grass so the snow can melt into the groundwater table or on top of the drains that either drain into the cistern on campus or into the campus pond thus creating a storm water management system for the snowmelt. After the bulk of the snow and ice is removed by physical means, calcium chloride is spread on the sidewalks and roads as an environmental friendly method of snow management and removal.