Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.20
Liaison Megan Butler
Submission Date May 31, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Macalester College
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 2.00 Jerry Nelson
Grounds Manager
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
54 Acres

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 0 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 0 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):

Footprints of buildings and impervious surfaces and the footprint of the Ordway Field Station are excluded


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
0

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
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A brief description of the IPM program:

It is Macalester College’s policy to use pesticides only after pests have been properly identified, the population exceeds tolerance thresholds, all possible treatment methods have been investigated and evaluated, and cultural, biological, and mechanical controls have been determined to be ineffective against the particular pest. Preventative measures are favored in all cases and particularly taken into account when designing new perennial plantings at which time pest resistant varieties can be selected. Additionally, as increasing tolerance levels and action thresholds is often the most sustainable option in the case of many low-risk pests, such as broad leaf weeds, the college strives to balance sustainable pest management with the campus aesthetic by educating students, faculty, staff, and visitors about IPM.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
0

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:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:

Native plant programs —which require less water and fertilizer—are included in the campus prairie, campus raingarden, and Markim Hall landscaping. Native plants are also considered in the 2011 Sustainable Landscape Plan.


A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:

The sustainability plan includes a goal of infiltrating the first inch of precipitation campus wide.


A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):

The Grounds Department does not pick up any grass clippings, these stay on the turf or are returned to the soil with mulching lawn mowers. All other grounds keeping waste is composted off-site.


A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:

All campus light poles were retrofitted to LED lights. Energy efficiency is included in the sustainable landscaping master plan.


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):

Grounds staff and students received training in river-friendly snow and ice removal via Minnesota Pollution Control agency video.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.