Illinois Central College
OP-10: Landscape Management

"Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. Illinois Central College IPM program uses current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. Our IPM system is designed around six basic components: 1. Acceptable pest levels: The emphasis is on control, not eradication 2. Preventive cultural practices: Selecting varieties best for local growing conditions, and maintaining healthy plants, is the first line of defense 3. Monitoring: Regular observation is the cornerstone of IPM to ensure catching the problem at an early stage 4. Mechanical controls: Should a pest reach an unacceptable level, mechanical methods are the first options to consider. They include simple hand-picking, erecting insect barriers and using traps. A few examples of this would be: a. Controlling bagworm on campus by picking the bags from the junipers before the worms emerge to eat. b. Removing sections of the branches in crab apple trees that tent caterpillars have formed nests c. Using pheromone traps to help remove the Japanese Beetle population around our linden trees on campus d. Pulling weeds out of landscape beds by hand and taking them to our compost pile 5. Biological controls: Natural biological processes and materials can provide control, with minimal environmental impact, and often at low cost. The main focus here is on promoting beneficial insects that eat target pests. An example would be our Martin houses that have been installed around our pond, which has a heavy mosquito population 6. Responsible Pesticide Use: Synthetic pesticides are generally only used as required and often only at specific times in a pests life cycle"

The department strives to implement sustainable plans and operations in the college’s 491 acres. For example, Christmas trees are recycled for mulch, plant clippings are used for compost and native grasses and perennials are planted in order to keep watering to a minimum.

ICC installs as many native plants into our groomed landscape areas as possible. We strive to purchase our plant material from local nurseries to ensure that they will survive in our designated zone. The types of native plants that we install into different areas depend on a few different criteria such as size, aesthetics and what kind of debris the plant might generate.

ICC has a compost pile located at our East Peoria campus and a compost collection point at our North location. Compostable material is taken from the collection point once per year and added to other compostable material that has been collected from our East Peoria location. We use hot composting on a quarterly basis to turn our compostable material into 5 to 10 tons of useable compost per year. Hot composting is the process of moving compostable material into a bin and adding a small amount of old compost that acts as an inoculate to begin the heating process that kills undesirable weed seeds. The types of materials that are collected include weeds, leaves, perennial plant clippings, ornamental grass clippings and small amounts of grass clippings. Once the compostable material has been turned into compost it is used in our landscape beds, flower pots and when establishing new turf areas.

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The Grounds Department looks to purchase environmental friendly options when it proves to be a cost effective superior material than other products.

We have installed permeable pavement in two different parking areas on campus that help reduce and disperse the amount of rain water that would normally enter our storm sewers. We also install and maintain a pond aerator to help keep our retainage pond free from algae helps to provide oxygen to the fish in the pond.

ICC is always looking for more sustainable products to aid in the removal of salt and ice in the winter months. Products that we have tested include liquid magnesium chloride, liquid beet juice, granular magnesium chloride, granular magnesium/ potassium blend and a granular potassium. We have blended filter sand with our road salt to cut down on the total amount of road salt applied over the course of a winter season which helps decrease the possibility of salt run off or damage to turf. We have constructed a salt bin that keeps our small supply of road salt covered to also ensure we are getting the most out of the product and also prevents runoff into turf areas.

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