Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	67.33
Liaison	James Biesecker
Submission Date	Nov. 1, 2022

STARS v2.2

Gettysburg 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	Eric Richardson Grounds Manager Facilities Services

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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:

Gettysburg College sits on the Gettysburg battlefield and is surrounded by the National Military Park, whose land is legally protected. Gettysburg College's 260 acre campus is connected to the National Park Service. A 32 acre portion of our campus is under a scenic easement with the National Park Service

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:

No endangered species that we are aware of.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gettysburg-college-biodiversity-survey

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:

We have a pond on campus which is surrounded by native plants in a natural distribution. We have wood duck nests and a super colony of purple martins. The pond is also home to a large population of painted turtles and many species of fish.

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:

Biology courses study these areas and have determined there are no endangered or vulnerable species.

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

Annual research conducted on site.

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

We have set aside several acres of natural area on campus for conservation (part of a LEEDS certification). We manage to diversify the cover types to harbor wildlife and promote a healthier ecosystem.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gettysburg-college-biodiversity-survey

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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