| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.33 |
| Liaison | Enid Cardinal |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Enid
Cardinal Senior Sustainability Advisor to the President Office of the President |
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 | 207.43 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 207.43 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
460 acres of the campus is made up of buildings, roads, parking lots and sidewalks. 180 acres are protected wetlands, 197 acres are in crop production by a 3rd party, and the remaining acreage is forested, riparian or grassland. RIT was also recently gifted a 177 acre nature preserve.
Percentage of grounds managed organically:
A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
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:
Institution’s grounds are developed and maintained in accordance with an integrated pest management plan that adheres to the following four-tiered approach:
1) Set action thresholds
2) Monitor and identify pests
3) Prevention
4) Control
Our landscape management program is totally driven by cultivative prevention and monitoring. Our action thresholds are driven purely by plant health.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
Several hundred acres of RIT's property is forested or wetlands. For the landscapes that are maintained, native plants have become an important part of the design. Additionally, RIT has partnered with the Seneca Park Zoo Society to install pollinator gardens around the entry roads to campus.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
Water management is an important consideration at RIT. In the developed areas of campus green infrastructure such as green roofs, eco swales, rain gardens and permeable pavement are some of the approaches employed. The University also works to restore the health of impaired wetlands on campus.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
All organic matter is stockpiled in our Landscape management area. Once or twice a year we have a contractor come in with a grinder and grind the material for us. The resulting mulch is used throughout campus and in the community garden.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
The campus practice is to mechanically remove as much snow as possible. Ice control products are used solely for the purpose of controlling ice, not to remove snow. Additionally, ice melt systems have been installed at the entryways of several new buildings, significantly reducing the amount of salt used.
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.