| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.69 |
| Liaison | Susan Dorward |
| Submission Date | July 31, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Raritan Valley Community College
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Susan
Dorward Sustainability and Energy Coordinator Facilities and Grounds |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
No
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
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Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
We do trail camera studies for campus mammals (including but not restricted to T&E species) each winter/spring with our Vertebrate Zoology class (BIOL247). 20 students systematically set out 20 infrared trail cameras in diverse habitats across the campus for two weeks to get a snapshot of winter/spring mammal diversity.
We do annual spotlight (and now infrared drone surveys) of campus deer populations to assess their impact to campus forest environments, and re-sample our two forest monitoring plots annually to document the effects of deer populations and deer management on forest regeneration and other understory variables. These surveys are conducted with the Vert Zoo (BIOL247) class and wildlife research interns each spring semester, and forest monitoring is conducted with Ecology in the fall (BIOL231).
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Endangered and vulnerable species identified were:
Boraginaceae Mertensia virginica Virginia Bluebells Special Concern
Cooper's Hawk Falconiiformes Threatened
Red-Headed Woodpecker Piciformes Threatened
Box Turtle Terrapene c. carolina Reptilia population declining
Streams running through campus are tributaries to the Raritan River. The southern end of campus has a stream that feeds into a pond. The west side of campus has the headwaters of another stream that empties (through underground pipes) into the southern stream. The northeast corner of campus has a third stream that is a tribuatory of the Raritan. All three receive runoff from campus and are affected by salt in winter. The southern and northeastern streams are prone to erosion from stormwater.
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Under RVCCs Memorandum of Understanding with the EPA, RVCC adopted a GreenScapes policy in March 2011. This formalized RVCC's policy of planting native plant species, adopted as part of the River Friendly program in 2010. The GreenScapes policy states RVCC's goal when landscaping to plant diverse species of native plants in order to provide wildlife habitat.
Birch and willow stakes were planted along all three streams to prevent erosion.
As part of River Friendly certification, in 2010 RVCC installed a dozen bird boxes on campus and students conducted a wildlife inventory for the campus.
The college uses environmentally friendly ice melt and is looking to move toward a pre-treatment product that would reduce the need for ice melt.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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