Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 47.67
Liaison Tony Gillund
Submission Date May 9, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

The Ohio State University at Mansfield
IN-24: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Norman Jones
Associate Dean
English
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Monarch Right of Way

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

The Ohio State University at Mansfield erected the “Monarch Right-of-Way: A Pollinator Demonstration Plot” in collaboration with Ohio State Extension, First Energy, Ohio Prairie Nursery, the Pollinator Partnership, Arnold’s Landscaping, Davey Tree and the Utility Arborists Association. The plots are located under a FirstEnergy electrical utility line spanning 1.05 miles of powerline. This right-of-way demonstration plot was seeded in 2015 to transform brown, oblong-shaped plots of grass outside Ovalwood Hall at The Ohio State University at Mansfield Campus, which flourished with flower gardens conducive to pollinators.
The primary goal is to create a demonstration area to show landowners, who have utility rights-of-way on their property, some alternative wildlife habitats. North American electric and natural gas utility ROW corridors occupy 12 million acres (4.8 million hectares) of land. These areas crisscross through all ecosystem types and agricultural lands are ideally situated to provide forage and habitat for pollinators; they are crucial for migratory pollinators.
Educational signage was established to enhance the outreach and learning experience. The plot has also provided an outdoor educational space for events like the “Monarch Butterfly Migration Open House” (09/09/2016), during which the community was invited onto campus to learn how to provide habitats for desirable pollinators and received starter packs of milkweed seeds to take the practice to their own backyards.
In addition to serving as a space for community outreach, the plots also play a vital role in research to ensure pollinator habitat is considered during regional landscape management decisions. The space was designed so that Utility Arborists Association, The Ohio State University Department of Entomology, and Pollinator Partnership can conduct research on the pollinator plot, which will serve as a foundation for regional planning decisions.
The innovative use of the Ohio State Mansfield’s site has enriched the environmental, social, and economic components of the campus and Mansfield community.


Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Campus Engagement
Public Engagement
Grounds

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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