Overall Rating	Bronze
Overall Score	38.87
Liaison	Sam Edwards
Submission Date	March 1, 2025

STARS v2.2

Quinnipiac University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close

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Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Quinnipiac is adjacent to Sleeping Giant State Park, a significant landmark in Indigenous history. According to the native Quinnipiac Tribe, Hobbomock (or Hobomock), was a prominent wicked figure in many stories. He became angry about the mistreatment of his people and stamped his foot down in anger, diverting the course of the Connecticut River. To prevent him from wreaking such havoc in the future, the good spirit Keitan cast a spell on Hobbomock to sleep forever as the prominent man-like form of the Sleeping Giant.

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

According to the Biology department, Quinnipiac does not have property identified as having endangered or vulnerable species.

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

In the summer of 2021, biology students and a professor conducted a pollinator biodiversity assessment on campus compared to the neighboring Sleeping Giant state park. We are still working on analyzing the data, but the preliminary results find significantly more biomass when sampling on campus.This research is informing the implementation of pollinator gardens on campus-- where to put them, which pollinator species to target, etc.

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Three sites were chosen for regular sampling of insect life: a location central to campus, one on the outer edge of campus that has become the site of the first native-plant "pollinator garden" and a site on the west side of the campus-adjacent Sleeping Giant State Park.

We collected in the field on the west side of Sleeping Giant near Mill River. We have permission for the collections occurring on private land, and Quinnipiac University. Collecting occured 1 day/week from mid-May until mid-Aug. Collecting will take place from 9am-4pm. No permanent markers are used.

These collections have taken place in these locations each of the last three summers.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

The assessment was conducted across Quinnipiac's campus and Sleeping Giant State park to compare the biodiversity of neighboring ecosystems. The park is separated from campus by a single road. Both campus and the park are heavily trafficked by humans, but QU is also treated with fertilizers and landscaping. The study is intended to inform the implementation of pollinator gardens across campus by determining which pollinators are most present.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

The pollinator biodiversity assessment has resulted in the establishment of pollinator gardens to increase numbers of pollinators essential to the local biodiversity and ecosystems. Additionally, ecology students have proposed a restoration of native plant species on grass areas on campus that is under consideration for implementation.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://www.qu.edu/about-quinnipiac/our-vision-for-the-future/sustainability/pollinator-gardens/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

Sleeping_Giant_Permit_application.docx

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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