| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.71 |
| Liaison | Sharmilla Raj |
| Submission Date | May 6, 2024 |
Toronto Metropolitan University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.01 / 2.00 |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Total campus area:
27.76
Acres
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 | 0.33 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 27.43 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 27.76 Acres |
If the total area of managed grounds is less than the total campus area, provide:
The land managed organically is
Organic program
1.19
If reporting an organic program, provide:
The Urban Farm at TMU uses ecological methods for growing food and medicines. Our produce is spray-free, meaning we do not use any pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Only natural soil amendments, such as compost, compost tea and seaweed emulsion are used. To maintain soil fertility, the Urban Farm also uses practices such as using crop rotations, mulches, cover crops and green manures.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program
98.81
If reporting an IPM program, provide:
A brief description of the IPM program:
TMU follows Orkin's "Commercial Pest Control Guidebook" as a basis for campus-wide integrated pest management. The guidebook includes information regarding preventative measures, frequency of service, and pest seasonality, as well as tips for different types of industries.
Optional Fields
The Urban Farm's approach includes:
-intentionally leaving around 20% of "weeds"/wild plants in our spaces
- planting a pollinator garden with native flowers to support local ecology
-adding biodiversity to the urban environment, providing habitat for birds and food sources for pollinators
The Urban Farm focuses on ecological practices to support the soil food web. We only use natural soil amendments, and no synthetic or chemical fertilizers are used. To maintain and foster healthy soil, we employ the following regenerative agriculture principles: keeping soil covered, keeping soil planted, minimizing soil disturbance, and encouraging biodiversity.
-intentionally leaving around 20% of "weeds"/wild plants in our spaces
- planting a pollinator garden with native flowers to support local ecology
-adding biodiversity to the urban environment, providing habitat for birds and food sources for pollinators
The Urban Farm focuses on ecological practices to support the soil food web. We only use natural soil amendments, and no synthetic or chemical fertilizers are used. To maintain and foster healthy soil, we employ the following regenerative agriculture principles: keeping soil covered, keeping soil planted, minimizing soil disturbance, and encouraging biodiversity.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The green roof helps store stormwater, alleviating pressure on Toronto's combined sewage system (during major rain events, the sewers overflow and sewage and rainwater mixes and runs into Lake Ontario). The Urban Farm at TMU uses drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses, which offer slow and controlled water delivery through small drips directly onto the soil surface. This helps conserve water, minimize evaporation and deliver water directly to plant roots.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
The Urban Farm maintains several thermophilic compost piles using on-farm inputs, including unmarketable vegetables, crop residue, weeds, and mulch materials like straw and cardboard. While not sufficient to cover the entire surface of the farm, the compost produced is applied right back to the farm and supplemented with externally sourced compost. We strive to minimize waste by reusing all equipment and materials for as many seasons as we can, and recycle or donate materials when possible.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
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A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program is available:
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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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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.