| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.67 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 30, 2021 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 2.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Total campus area:
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed organically, without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides | 0 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 0 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 97 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 97 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
Of the 168 acre campus, approximately 97 acres is comprised of landscaped grounds, pathways, and campus roadways managed by the MIT Grounds Department. Approximately 21 acres is comprised of athletic fields and outdoor athletic facilities and is managed by the MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. The remaining 50 acres is covered by building footprints.
Percentage of grounds managed organically:
A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
The Grounds Department seeks to manage the campus by optimizing natural approaches and minimizing chemical inputs. The Grounds Department has added a organic soil conditioner to their turf program in 2020 which should allow for less watering and fertilization to maintain healthy turf conditions. The Department is expanding its baseline understanding of the MIT campus through the completion of a 2017 tree inventory and has been updated through 2020 and by developing campus soil and tree protection specifications. The landscape is managed by 17 different zones with a landscape worker assigned to maintain each zone on a daily basis. MIT recently completed a Phase 1 Sustainable Stormwater and Landscape Ecology Plan that will help the Institute chart a more sustainable path forward.
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:
N/A
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
MIT updated its tree inventory in 2017 to enable tracking of maintenance programs and regular inspections for certain ornamental trees (e.g. protect against soil compaction) and continuously updates the tree inventory. Each year, 320 trees are targeted for specific pruning and maintenance so that the entire campus tree inventory (approximately 2,000 trees) is individually maintained every 7 years. Some priority landscape areas are pruned and maintained multiple times per year.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
MIT seeks to maximize use of natural hydrologic systems for maintaining urban campus vegetation on highly constrained fill soils. Currently, MIT has 18 best management practice installations for rain gardens, porous pavement and green roofs that are designed to achieve a variety of water quality and quantity goals. MIT seeks to reduce potable water use for landscape by identifying and repairing approximately 90% of irrigation leaks and renovating an existing rainwater catchment cistern. MIT is aiming to use a master irrigation control system that can enable measurement of use as well as leak indication and identification.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
Organic material collected from campus grounds is transported off campus and processed into soil. Rather than shipping the material back to campus, the newly created soil is used off campus.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
MIT follows LEED V4 landscape requirements for new construction to minimize heat-island effect.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
The Grounds Department seeks to manage the campus by optimizing natural approaches and minimizing chemical inputs. MIT experimented in 2016 and 2017 with beet sugar to raise the melting point of icy surfaces as an alternative to more intensive chemical inputs. However, the testing found that beet sugar was not sufficiently effective at reducing safety risks to warrant continued use.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program 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.