| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.79 |
| Liaison | Yumiko Jakobcic |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Grand Valley State University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Yumiko
Jakobcic Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability Practices |
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach | 651 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials | 0 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 651 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):
The footprint of buildings is not included
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
A copy of the IPM plan or program:
A brief description of the IPM program:
Start with a healthy plant as the best defense against disease or pests. Choose correct varieties for the location. Don’t overplant areas to improve air circulation that reduces disease. Water wisely, caution used not to over or under water locations. Clean up debris to reduce insect populations. Determine thresholds and monitor locations regularly. Understand life-cycles of insects and weeds for proper control. Limit synthetic chemical control use and avoid ‘blanket’ applications.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
We follow the IPM plan, and also review design plans prior to landscaping to make sure that they accommodate native plants and use plants that are hearty for this region.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The Stormwater Advisory Group (SWAG), consisting of faculty, staff, and consulting engineers, collaborate on water management solutions on campus. With the input of SWAG, GVSU has constructed water retention ponds, bioswales and rain gardens, used porous pavement, and designed vegetated roofs to maintain an acceptable flow of water into the adjacent ravine system.
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
On-campus composting kicked off with a sorting party involving a group of students sorting the yard waste. Facilities services transported the sorted material to the Sustainable Agriculture Project where is was wind-rowed. In addition, dining facilities and housing all offer compost options. Some compost is then used at the Sustainable Agriculture Project.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
Landscape design is a project-driven plan. Projects are designed to use as little water as possible and not to rely on irrigation. They are designed to use run-off water whenever possible and to use natural vegetation in the area.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):
Snow piles from parking lots are placed in locations, where melting/runoff of the snow piles, are less apt to cause erosion to adjacent ravine areas. Excessive amounts of piled snow (that could cause erosion problems) are mechanically removed and relocated by front-end loaders and or odump trucks, when necessary. Road salt usage is reduced by 50%, by mixing the road salt with sand. Salt usage on sidewalk areas has been reduced or eliminated in most areas of campus, by using liquid de-icing materials that are lss corrosive, and environmentally damaging.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.