| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.53 |
| Liaison | Taryn Wilkinson |
| Submission Date | Aug. 10, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Niagara College Canada
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Taryn
Wilkinson Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management Services |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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Is the institution utilizing the campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in the following areas?:
| Yes or No | |
| Air & Climate | Yes |
| Buildings | Yes |
| Dining Services/Food | Yes |
| Energy | Yes |
| Grounds | Yes |
| Purchasing | No |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Waste | Yes |
| Water | Yes |
| Coordination, Planning & Governance | No |
| Diversity & Affordability | Yes |
| Health, Wellbeing & Work | Yes |
| Investment | No |
| Public Engagement | Yes |
| Other | No |
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Air & Climate and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
In the School of Environment and Horticultral Studies the ENVR1447 - Air Monitoring and Air Quality does air quality testing both indoors and outdoors as part of the course requirements. This course allows students to gain hands on skill building experiences with air monitoring equipment and procedures while assessing the air quality on campus.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Buildings and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Carbon Neutral Building Project at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre (WVEC) was launched in January 2013 in partnership with Walker Industries and Carbonzero. Walker Environmental Group (WEG), a division of Niagara’s Walker Industries, created a carbon neutral building service with the vision of making sustainable living and building operations more accessible and practical for small to medium-sized businesses.
Over the 2012 spring and summer, WEG worked with Niagara College students in the Environmental Management and Assessment program (EMA) to conduct a building operations greenhouse gas inventory for the WVEC, which has been reviewed and audited verified by Canadian carbon offset provider and registry, Carbonzero. With the purchase of carbon offsets, the WVEC has earned its Carbonzero certification as carbon neutral and is also registered on the Canadian Standards Association’s Canadian CleanProjects Registry.
In 2013 (for the 2012 fiscal year), the Rankin Technology Centre (RTC) located at the Welland campus, also became carbon neutral through the same program. Greenhouse gas inventories will be conducted at the WVEC and RTC annually to ensure the building remains carbon neutral while providing valuable information in terms of how the carbon footprint of each building can be reduced. In addition, WEG and this program now host interns from the EMA program annually to conduct the inventories, which continue to provide these students with a valuable learning opportunity, which can provide them with the necessary skills required for a successful career in the environmental sector.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Dining Services/Food and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Chef’s Garden is located at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus just outside of the Benchmark Restaurant. The garden is home to a variety of vegetables, which provides the Canadian Food and Wine Institute and Benchmark Restaurant with a variety of fresh produce throughout the harvest months. The students in the Horticultural programs as well as the Culinary programs at Niagara College learn about gardening, where produce comes from, and the impact fresh local food has on the food systems in Ontario.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Energy and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
During the summer of 2014, a complete lighting audit was completed by an Environmental Field and Lab Technician student completing her co-op with the Office of Sustainability. The audit was completed for both the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus covering just over 940,000 square feet of space. The lighting audit revealed a total of 26,114 light bulbs equaling one third of the total electricity load, or 907 kW at Niagara College. This equates to a toal estimated annual consumption from lighting to be 4,746,286 kWh. Since the audit, our Embedded Energy Manager has actively retrofitted approximately 600 bulbs on campus resulting in a 35kW reduction in load, 230,000 kWh/year in reduced consumption and an approximate savings of $30,000/year. Lighting retrofits and motion sensors are going to be a continual focus for the as a way to reduce our electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions directly as a result of the lighting audit.
For more information please visit:
http://sustainability.niagaracollege.ca/content/Projects/CampusProjects/Energy/LightingAudit.aspx
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Grounds and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Students taking programs in the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies at Niagara College consistently use the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus as a way of applying the theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom to gain hands on skills. The basic skills relating to grounds maintenance, nursery, plant (native and non-native) identification, design, restoration, management, and more are all learned on campus in a real world setting, which is even used as a recruitment strategy that sets Niagara College programs apart.
For more information
http://www.niagaracollege.ca/environment-horticulture-studies/
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Purchasing and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Transportation and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
A student in the Environmental Management and Assessment Graduate Certificate program interned with the Office of Sustainability to complete a Transportation Demand Management Plan for Niagara College. The plan included assessing the current state of transportation, including public transit, active transportation, carpooling and the operational requirements of transportation on campus and in the community and provided recommendations as to how each respective area could be improved. The resulting plan was presented to the Sustainability Committee and Executive Team at Niagara College and has helped informed the college's strategic direction.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Waste and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Pollution Prevention students studying in the Environmental Management and Assessment program conduct annual waste audits for Niagara College as part of the course requirements. Niagara College is required to complete annual waste audits according to Ontario Regulation 102/94, which allows students hands on real world experience with regulations, waste audits, report writing in a setting that combines operations with academic programming.
For more information please visit: http://sustainability.niagaracollege.ca/content/Projects/CampusProjects/Waste/WasteAudits.aspx.
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Water and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The Niagara College Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus is home to a 15 acre wetland system at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO designated World Biosphere Reserve. The wetland system is used by the programs in the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies as a living lab for water quality testing, biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem restoration, habitat and species monitoring, and more.
For more information visit:
http://www.niagaracollege.ca/about-niagara-college/campuses/notl-campus/
https://getinvolved.niagaracollege.ca/organization/sustainability/calendar/details/34865
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Coordination, Planning & Governance and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Diversity & Affordability and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
The First Nations, Metis and Inuit Garden was planted on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in 2010 featuring native plants traditionally used by First Nations peoples for medicine, food, ceremonies and building. Funding for the garden was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in support of Aboriginal environmental and horticultural initiatives at Niagara College. The garden is not only used for informal education for our students, employees, and community members, but it is a key component to the Aboriginal Knowledge courses, which cover topics such as historical and current uses of plants by First Nations, ecology, food science, and agriculture. Students are able to learn how to identify plants and their habitats, grow edible foods and process plants for various activities such as preparing medicine and building storage containers.
For more information please visit:
http://sustainability.niagaracollege.ca/content/Projects/CampusProjects/Biodiversity/AboriginalGardens.aspx
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2010/12/16/growing-first-nations-culture-on-campus
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Health, Wellbeing & Work and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Niagara Waters Spa is located at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus and is a living lab for the Esthetician program. The spa's principal emphasis is on providing students the opportunity to work with clients in a safe environment while developing their skills and techniques in areas such as skin care, facials, manicures, pedicures, hair removal and makeup artistry to prepare them for employment in the wellness industry.
For more information please visit:
http://www.niagarawaters.ca/content/
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Investment and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory for Public Engagement and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
Niagara College’s student-led Niagara Environmental Corps (NEC) in partnership with the Sustainability Committee hosted its 8th Annual Green Day event at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in September 2014. This event is important to the college, as it gives student, employees and community members a chance to participate and engage with local organizations that are committed to improving sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The theme for Green Day in 2014 was “Living Local”, and encompassed a wide range of sustainability topics to be explored. Living local is a way for communities to foster sustainable principles, as well as environmental and community based stewardship together through activism, education and engagement. Some of the workshops and offerings to students, employees and community members included fly fishing demonstrations from Trout Unlimited, testing out a paddle board from Paddle Board Niagara, sumac tea sampling from the Office of Sustainability, meet local farmers.
For more information please visit:
http://sustainability.niagaracollege.ca/content/Events/GreenDay.aspx
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A brief description of how the institution is using the campus as a living laboratory in Other areas and the positive outcomes associated with the work:
N/A
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s campus as a living laboratory program or projects is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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