New York University
IN-4: Innovation 4

Native Woodland Garden NYU’s Native Woodland Garden boasts 39 species of native plants, including assorted ferns, sedge, wild ginger, and sarsaparilla. Formed through collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist Dr. Eric Sanderson’s “Manahatta Project,” a digitally reconstructed exhibit of the ecology of Manhattan as it existed before European settlement, the NYU Native Woodland garden offers a small, rare 2,200-square-foot glimpse of the landscape of 1609. More information about the Mannahatta Project can be found at www.themannahattaproject.org. The NYU Native Woodland Garden is located in Schwartz Plaza on the east face of NYU’s Bobst Library. The garden features a variety of plant species identified by Dr. Sanderson as likely to have been present on the day Henry Hudson first sailed by the island. Native trees, shrubs, and perennials were planted among the existing non-native trees to mimic the natural process of ecological species succession. The design brings a microcosmic and stylized version of the botanic diversity and aesthetic character of a native Manhattan woodland into a highly urban environment. The Native Woodland Environment provides an educational opportunity for the NYU and New York community to learn about sustainability and native environments. The NYU Garden Shop uses organic landscaping management techniques in all areas of its operation, in keeping with its commitment to provide innovative, sustainable landscape care. The Garden Shop strives to use NYU's open space and planted areas to serve a variety of functions, including teaching, research, and public service.

In addition to the Innovations included in the credits, NYU would like to share several of the other innovative activities being done on our campus. Below is a list of things NYU is doing to advance sustainability on our campus and within the local community. The NYU Environmental Purchasing Guide The NYU Environmental Purchasing Guide serves as a companion to the NYU Sustainability Task Force’s Food and Purchasing Working Group’s 2009 Environmental Purchasing Policy. It is designed to facilitate environmentally-responsible procurement decisions by decision-makers in administrative and academic departments across the university. The Environmental Purchasing Guide is divided into thirteen categories of goods and services. These sections correspond to those within the Environmental Purchasing Policy. Each section of the Guide includes an description of the related Policy, ideas for waste-reducing alternatives, a discussion of issues to consider and what to look for when sourcing, and a list of possible vendors in the New York City metropolitan area. This Guide was compiled by the Sustainability Task Force Food & Purchasing Working Group, and is not an official University document. A copy of the guide can be found at: http://nyuenvironmentalpurchasingguide.wordpress.com/introductio/ NYUunplugged NYUnplugged is NYU’s annual residence hall energy-saving challenge in which each of NYU’s residence halls compete to see who can save the most energy and resources. In fall of 2010, NYU made a 4.77% in overall energy use, saving over 71,000 kWh from being consumed. The residence hall that reduces its electricity consumption the most is the winner of the competition. NYUunplugged is now part of the new Campus Conservation Nationals competitions in which 40 schools with 120,000 participants challenge another to see who can reduce their energy consumption the most. More information can be found at: http://www.nyu.edu/sustainability/campus.projects/nyunplugged/ Social Venture Plan Competition The NYU Stern Social Venture Competition was started to recognize and support the growing number of students and alumni at NYU interested in using their business and entrepreneurial skills to create innovative approaches to tackling social and environmental problems, here and abroad. Winners of the Social Venture Competition receive the $100,000 Satter Family Prize named after Stern alumnus Stewart Satter, a successful entrepreneur whose donations support the program. Past ventures include: "Madécasse" imports specialty food products grown and manufactured in Madagascar. Focused primarily on goods made from locally grown cocoa and vanilla beans, the group aims to bridge the gap between poverty and potential in emerging markets using Equitrade. A model that builds upon the Fair Trade concept, Equitrade requires both the farming and the manufacturing of products to be completed within the country of origin. Based on market trends showing that consumers are increasingly interested in a product origin and in purchasing goods from ethical and sustainable enterprises, Madécasse distributes their premium chocolate bars and other food products to retail outlets across the US. "BioDel" is involved in the field of non-conventional energy sources, with a key focus on the R&D, production, refining and trading of biofuels . "Video Volunteers" is creating a sustainable community-led social media network focused on solutions to global poverty, the developmental needs of local communities and ways to actively engage more people at the base of the socio-economic pyramid. "Shift Media" is a multi-platform media company that brings sustainable lifestyle choices to the mainstream and aims to tap the $230 billion a year and growing “Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability” market. With internationally acclaimed writers, a sharp, modern design and pop culture news, Shift will demonstrate that all individuals can have a positive impact on the environment without sacrificing quality of life or style. More information can be found at: http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/berkley/bpc.cfm?doc_id=6307