| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.60 |
| Liaison | Mike Versteege |
| Submission Date | Feb. 3, 2012 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Alberta
OP-T2-19: Native Plants
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 0.25 |
Wayne
McCutcheon Manager Landscape Planning & Construction Buildings and Grounds Services |
Does the institution prioritize the use of native plant species in landscaping?:
A brief description of the native plant program, policy, or practice:
During new construction projects or in landscape renovation and restoration initiatives, Buildings and Grounds Services always seeks opportunities to incorporate native and drought tolerant plant species. Recognizing the importance of native plant species, the objective is to reduce irrigation and to select plants which more readily adapt to our changing climatic conditions. The use of grass as a ground cover is discouraged and used only in student and staff gathering quads.
To this end, landscape architects are encouraged to consider native plants – both shrubs and grasses – when designing landscapes for new facilities. Two recent examples include the landscape plans for two LEED® Silver-targeted new construction projects: the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA) and the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS). The landscapes at both ECHA and CCIS have a predominance of native plant materials; in fact there is no grass ground cover, excluding the use of prairie grasses, being incorporated into the ECHA landscape.
The website URL where information about the program, policy, or practice is available:
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.