| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.15 |
| Liaison | Emma Blandford |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2024 |
Georgia Institute of Technology
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Emma
Blandford Portfolio Manager Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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?:
No
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
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Endangered and vulnerable species
Yes
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
Georgia Tech keeps a list of endangered and vulnerable species on campus. Information is presented in the following order:
Common Name, Botanical Name, IUCN Classification
● Ash-Green, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Critically Endangered
● Carolina ash, Fraxinus caroliniana, Endangered
● Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba, Endangered
● Star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, Endangered
● Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Endangered
● Serbian spruce, Picea omorika, Endangered
● Pine-Longleaf, Pinus palustris, Endangered
● American elm, Ulmus americana, Endangered
● Cedar of lebanon, Cedrus libani, Vulnerable
● Kentucky coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus, Vulnerable
Supporting Information:
● Significant Trees (which meet specific criteria) are also documented in the 2019 Tree Campus USA tree care plan:
● https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Common Name, Botanical Name, IUCN Classification
● Ash-Green, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Critically Endangered
● Carolina ash, Fraxinus caroliniana, Endangered
● Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba, Endangered
● Star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, Endangered
● Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Endangered
● Serbian spruce, Picea omorika, Endangered
● Pine-Longleaf, Pinus palustris, Endangered
● American elm, Ulmus americana, Endangered
● Cedar of lebanon, Cedrus libani, Vulnerable
● Kentucky coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus, Vulnerable
Supporting Information:
● Significant Trees (which meet specific criteria) are also documented in the 2019 Tree Campus USA tree care plan:
● https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Areas of biodiversity importance
Yes
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
The EcoCommons showcases the diversity of plant species native to Georgia. Most of the plants on the site are native to this region. The ground showcases a variety of native plants to serve the yearlong needs of our pollinators. These native species bloom in a staggered fashion from early spring to late fall. The EcoCommons is a 7.5-acre greenspace that aims to mimic a traditional piedmont woodland that follows what were the original naturally occurring stream paths of the region before being urbanized.
The EcoCommons has received multiple official designations including:
● Gold Native Plant Habitat, certified by the Georgia Native Plant Society, 2021
● Designated Wildlife Sanctuary, certified by the Georgia Audobon Society, 2021
Supporting Information
● Wildlife at Home on Campus, 2021: https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
The EcoCommons has received multiple official designations including:
● Gold Native Plant Habitat, certified by the Georgia Native Plant Society, 2021
● Designated Wildlife Sanctuary, certified by the Georgia Audobon Society, 2021
Supporting Information
● Wildlife at Home on Campus, 2021: https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
Methodologies
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
Plant species, plant density, proximity to water source, soil type, standing water and maintenance methods
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
Multiple assessments have been conducted to identify endangered and vulnerable species and areas of biodiversity importance.
2015 Tree Inventory: Georgia Tech hired an arborist in 2015 to catalog all trees on campus, including species size and condition. GT then placed information on GIS layer with campus base map. Upon review of species found and other criteria, a list of significant trees found on campus was compiled and campus arborist noted the Carolina Hemlock as a threatened species. In doing so the tree is monitored more closely for pest, disease, nutrient deficiency and a care program developed to help survivability.
EcoCommons & Kendeda Gold Native Plant Certification: While undergoing native plant certification in 2021, Georgia Tech had to verify the following regarding plant species:
● 2/3 of the entire property grounds in native plants representing 4 (four) or more categories listed. There must be a minimum of 3 species in each of the four categories.
● No cultivated Category 1-3 invasive plants and invasive plants must be in the process of being actively eradicated.
The Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey: The Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey is a project led by Emily Weigel, a senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences. This project monitors biodiversity on campus by enabling students, employees, and community members to upload observations and identifications of species found around Georgia Tech. The information is hosted on iNaturalist, a crowdsourced species identification system and an organism occurrence recording tool.
As of 2023, the Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey contains more than 7,400 observations of 1,179 species from 681 observers. For several years, a Vertically Integrated Project course called Tech4Wildlife further supported the biodiversity survey by collecting data using cameras and microphones located around the EcoCommons. In 2022, researchers with the Georgia Tech Global Change Program initiated a research project to use machine learning to monitor biodiversity on campus by training machine learning models to classify animal species.
Supporting Information
● Georgia Tech Biodiversity Survey in iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/georgia-tech-campus-biodiversity-survey
● Wildlife at Home on Campus (Oct. 26, 2021): https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
● Georgia Tech Researchers Monitor Campus Biodiversity with Machine Learning (Feb. 28, 2022): https://globalchange.gatech.edu/news/biodiversity/
● HumaniTech VIP: https://www.viphumanitech.com/about
2015 Tree Inventory: Georgia Tech hired an arborist in 2015 to catalog all trees on campus, including species size and condition. GT then placed information on GIS layer with campus base map. Upon review of species found and other criteria, a list of significant trees found on campus was compiled and campus arborist noted the Carolina Hemlock as a threatened species. In doing so the tree is monitored more closely for pest, disease, nutrient deficiency and a care program developed to help survivability.
EcoCommons & Kendeda Gold Native Plant Certification: While undergoing native plant certification in 2021, Georgia Tech had to verify the following regarding plant species:
● 2/3 of the entire property grounds in native plants representing 4 (four) or more categories listed. There must be a minimum of 3 species in each of the four categories.
● No cultivated Category 1-3 invasive plants and invasive plants must be in the process of being actively eradicated.
The Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey: The Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey is a project led by Emily Weigel, a senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences. This project monitors biodiversity on campus by enabling students, employees, and community members to upload observations and identifications of species found around Georgia Tech. The information is hosted on iNaturalist, a crowdsourced species identification system and an organism occurrence recording tool.
As of 2023, the Georgia Tech Campus Biodiversity Survey contains more than 7,400 observations of 1,179 species from 681 observers. For several years, a Vertically Integrated Project course called Tech4Wildlife further supported the biodiversity survey by collecting data using cameras and microphones located around the EcoCommons. In 2022, researchers with the Georgia Tech Global Change Program initiated a research project to use machine learning to monitor biodiversity on campus by training machine learning models to classify animal species.
Supporting Information
● Georgia Tech Biodiversity Survey in iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/georgia-tech-campus-biodiversity-survey
● Wildlife at Home on Campus (Oct. 26, 2021): https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
● Georgia Tech Researchers Monitor Campus Biodiversity with Machine Learning (Feb. 28, 2022): https://globalchange.gatech.edu/news/biodiversity/
● HumaniTech VIP: https://www.viphumanitech.com/about
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Campus Comprehensive Plan & Landscape Master Plan: Georgia Tech completed a new Campus Comprehensive Plan in 2023. This plan builds on the 2011 Landscape Master Plan, which has guidelines and a list of native plants that can be used on campus.
Urban Honeybee Project and Bee Campus USA: Georgia Tech takes steps to protect bees on campus and bee habitats through the Urban Honeybee Project and its Bee Campus USA certifications. In 2023, the Urban Honeybee Project hired its first beekeeper in residence.
EcoCommons: The EcoCommons is a 7.5 acre greenspace created from a converted parking lot. In its entirely, the EcoCommons will eventually cover 80 acres. Natural management practices, biodiversity monitoring, and protection of the area as a habitat positively affects diverse species.
Soil Restoration: At Georgia Tech, leaves are collected on campus and returned to native and natural spaces. The site is left undisturbed, allowing for the decomposition of leaves and the return of organic matter to our soils. This fixes carbon in our soils, allows soils to hold more water (which prevents runoff), and increases soil fertility – thus requiring fewer external inputs.
Bird Strike Committee: Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff have come together to monitor bird strikes on campus and take preventative measures including turning building lights off at night and the piloting of film placement on elevated walkways.
PGMS Award: In 2023, Georgia Tech received the Green Star GRAND award in the category of “Urban University Grounds” from the Progressional Grounds Management Society (PGMS).
Campus Arboretum / Tree Campus USA: In 2019, Georgia submitted an updated campus tree care plan. This plan outlines criteria for plant selection, increased tree canopy, and for protecting significant trees on campus.
Supporting Information
● Urban Honey Bee Project: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/10/30/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art
● Bird Collision Monitoring: https://www.gatech.edu/event/2023/10/16/bird-collision-monitoring
● Georgia Tech Comprehensive Plan (2023): https://campusplan.gatech.edu/
● Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan (2010): https://facilities.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/lmp_final_draft.pdf
● Georgia Tech’s Award-Winning Campus Landscape: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/11/08/georgia-techs-award-winning-campus-landscape
● https://facilities.gatech.edu/landscaping-certifications
● Tree Campus USA Tree Care Plan (2019): https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Urban Honeybee Project and Bee Campus USA: Georgia Tech takes steps to protect bees on campus and bee habitats through the Urban Honeybee Project and its Bee Campus USA certifications. In 2023, the Urban Honeybee Project hired its first beekeeper in residence.
EcoCommons: The EcoCommons is a 7.5 acre greenspace created from a converted parking lot. In its entirely, the EcoCommons will eventually cover 80 acres. Natural management practices, biodiversity monitoring, and protection of the area as a habitat positively affects diverse species.
Soil Restoration: At Georgia Tech, leaves are collected on campus and returned to native and natural spaces. The site is left undisturbed, allowing for the decomposition of leaves and the return of organic matter to our soils. This fixes carbon in our soils, allows soils to hold more water (which prevents runoff), and increases soil fertility – thus requiring fewer external inputs.
Bird Strike Committee: Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff have come together to monitor bird strikes on campus and take preventative measures including turning building lights off at night and the piloting of film placement on elevated walkways.
PGMS Award: In 2023, Georgia Tech received the Green Star GRAND award in the category of “Urban University Grounds” from the Progressional Grounds Management Society (PGMS).
Campus Arboretum / Tree Campus USA: In 2019, Georgia submitted an updated campus tree care plan. This plan outlines criteria for plant selection, increased tree canopy, and for protecting significant trees on campus.
Supporting Information
● Urban Honey Bee Project: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/10/30/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art
● Bird Collision Monitoring: https://www.gatech.edu/event/2023/10/16/bird-collision-monitoring
● Georgia Tech Comprehensive Plan (2023): https://campusplan.gatech.edu/
● Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan (2010): https://facilities.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/lmp_final_draft.pdf
● Georgia Tech’s Award-Winning Campus Landscape: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/11/08/georgia-techs-award-winning-campus-landscape
● https://facilities.gatech.edu/landscaping-certifications
● Tree Campus USA Tree Care Plan (2019): https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Optional Fields
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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:
2019 Tree Campus USA tree care plan: https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Wildlife at Home on Campus, 2021: https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
Georgia Tech Biodiversity Survey in iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/georgia-tech-campus-biodiversity-survey
Wildlife at Home on Campus (Oct. 26, 2021): https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
Georgia Tech Researchers Monitor Campus Biodiversity with Machine Learning (Feb. 28, 2022): https://globalchange.gatech.edu/news/biodiversity/
HumaniTech VIP: https://www.viphumanitech.com/about
Urban Honey Bee Project: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/10/30/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art
Bird Collision Monitoring: https://www.gatech.edu/event/2023/10/16/bird-collision-monitoring
Georgia Tech Comprehensive Plan (2023): https://campusplan.gatech.edu/
Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan (2010): https://facilities.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/lmp_final_draft.pdf
Georgia Tech’s Award-Winning Campus Landscape: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/11/08/georgia-techs-award-winning-campus-landscape
https://facilities.gatech.edu/landscaping-certifications
2019 Tree Care Plan: https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
Wildlife at Home on Campus, 2021: https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
Georgia Tech Biodiversity Survey in iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/georgia-tech-campus-biodiversity-survey
Wildlife at Home on Campus (Oct. 26, 2021): https://news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/wildlife-home-campus
Georgia Tech Researchers Monitor Campus Biodiversity with Machine Learning (Feb. 28, 2022): https://globalchange.gatech.edu/news/biodiversity/
HumaniTech VIP: https://www.viphumanitech.com/about
Urban Honey Bee Project: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/10/30/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art
Bird Collision Monitoring: https://www.gatech.edu/event/2023/10/16/bird-collision-monitoring
Georgia Tech Comprehensive Plan (2023): https://campusplan.gatech.edu/
Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan (2010): https://facilities.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/lmp_final_draft.pdf
Georgia Tech’s Award-Winning Campus Landscape: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2023/11/08/georgia-techs-award-winning-campus-landscape
https://facilities.gatech.edu/landscaping-certifications
2019 Tree Care Plan: https://facilities.gatech.edu/system/files/forms_files/2019_11_14_Tree-Care-Plan-Final.pdf
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.