| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.88 |
| Liaison | Kristina Hope |
| Submission Date | Feb. 13, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Knox College
OP-11: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Deb
Steinberg Director of Campus Sustainability Initiatives Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of any legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance on institution owned or managed land:
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
The methodology(-ies) used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
At Green Oaks Field Station, we do regular sampling of the prairie plant species (by Prof. Allison), spring wildflowers (Allison), tree species in selected areas of Green Oaks (Allison) and the bird species (Prof. Mountjoy). Other groups are surveyed on an occasional basis by faculty and students.
While we do not go out and specifically monitor Green Oaks in an attempt to identify endangered and vulnerable species, we do have regular monitoring programs for several taxonomic groups that allow us to identify those species if they are present at Green Oaks.
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
We know that we have 4 toed salamanders (a state listed species) living and reproducing at Green Oaks. We have not encountered any "listed" plants but we do have many plants that are considered indicators of high quality habitat - species that we would expect to find only in fairly intact and undisturbed habitat. Prof. Mountjoy has identified bird species that are rare. Henslow's sparrow has been observed breeding at Green Oaks.
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Knox College's Green Oaks Biological Field Station, located near the Spoon River in eastern Knox County, is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of the Knox campus. Green Oaks is both a research and recreation area. It encompasses 700 acres (283 hectares) of forest, grassland and aquatic habitat and is the second site in the nation where a tallgrass prairie was restored. Sections of the restored prairie are burned annually to preserve its native species composition.
Green Oaks includes stretches of uncut native forest, centuries-old oak trees, but also placid lakes and ponds where strip mines once scarred the land. Open fields that once grew corn have given way to one of the Midwest's oldest and most successful prairie restorations.
The website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity policies and programs(s) is available:
Date Revised: Feb. 18, 2015
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.