Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.29
Liaison Bonnie Dong
Submission Date Aug. 31, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

MacEwan University
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 2.00 Stephen Luyendyk
Senior Manager Operations
Operations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

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 3.71 Hectares
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 Hectares
Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) 0 Hectares
Total area of managed grounds 9.17 Hectares

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):

Parking, sidewalks and roadways, plaza areas and the clock tower entrance are excluded.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
100

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

Effective and environmentally sound land stewardship is a fundamental component of the university’s landscape management philosophy. Controlling invasive pests while promoting healthy growth of desirable species helps to fulfill this responsibility by:
- Reducing health dangers caused by insect or disease infestations
- Maintaining indigenous and cultivated/introduced landscape vegetation
- Supporting stakeholder activities, i.e. sports, recreational pastime, aesthetic enjoyment

The Facilities Grounds Department uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program to promote healthy vegetation and guide pest control activities on lands owned and leased by the MacEwan University.
The MacEwan University program follows a 4-tiered IPM approach to improve plant health and to prevent and manage pest infestations:

(1) determination of action thresholds (based on vigor assessment)
(2) monitoring and identifying pests (e.g. infestation of young Elm trees with European Elm Scale, Green Ash affected by Lecanium Scale, regular monitoring)
(3) prevent or remove conditions that attract pests (e.g. structural or maintenance pruning, removal)
(4) control (e.g. for set date and/or during periodic health inspection)

When pests are detected the Grounds Supervisor will determine the most effective and environmentally sound method to deal with the issue. These methods include:

1. Cultural methods
Suppress pest problems by minimizing the conditions they need to live (water, shelter, food).
Planting plants that are adapted to our growing conditions, planting them in the right place, giving proper attention to their water and nutritional needs and the like. Native plants resist diseases, outgrow weeds and are less likely to succumb to insects.

2. Biological methods
Use predators, parasites and diseases of pests in a targeted way to suppress pest populations.
Such as the use of Ladybugs to control Aphids and whitefly in roses and shrub areas.

3. Chemical methods
Conventional pesticides currently refers to synthetically produced compounds that act as direct toxins (nerve poisons, stomach poisons, etc.) MacEwan Grounds uses only environmentally friendly biodegradable pesticide treatments as required in minimal affective amounts.


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:

-Naturalized landscape areas include native species that are drought-tolerant in order to reduce water use.
-A centrally controlled irrigation system that includes a weather station is used to optimize and regulate water use.
-Plant beds are mulched to retain additional moisture.


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

A new centrally-controlled irrigation system, complete with weather station and rain sensors, was installed. Additionally, a naturalized landscape design was implemented in the creation of landscaped areas along 109 Street and in front of Building 5.


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

All grass is mulched.
-Recycled and reusable materials are used in hard landscaping when available.


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

MacEwan University reduces the impact of snow and ice removal by regularly clearing sidewalks with a sweeper, manually scraping, and using sand in place of deicing chemicals whenever possible.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.