| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.32 |
| Liaison | Andy Mitchell |
| Submission Date | July 16, 2021 |
University of Illinois Chicago
IN-20: Grounds Certification
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Cynthia
Klein-Banai Associate Chancellor for Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution own and/or manage land that is currently certified under the following programs? (at least one positive response required):
| Yes or No | |
| ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation | --- |
| Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) | No |
| Bee Campus USA | Yes |
| Demeter Biodynamic | --- |
| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management standard | No |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List Standard | --- |
| National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat Program | No |
| An Organic standard or Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) endorsed by IFOAM | No |
| Salmon-Safe | No |
| Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) | No |
| Tree Campus USA (Arbor Day Foundation) | Yes |
| An equivalent program approved by AASHE | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s third party certified land holdings:
UIC has been certified as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation every year since 2001 (https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecampususa/campuses.cfm). Current tree metrics have been cataloged by the most recent tree inventory, completed by private contractors, Bartlett Tree Experts, in 2017 that included a majority of trees on UIC’s property, excluding those managed by UI Health, Incubator Laboratory Facility, and trees at the 2242 W Harrison location. Bartlett Inventory Solutions (BIS) combines the latest technology in Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), in order to map and manage data on all Trees within UIC property. Our inaugural forest inventory was completed in spring of 2017. The UIC Tree Inventory can be viewed publicly on the Arbor Scope website at arborscope.com/inventories/1954
The entirety of the UIC campus, including the east, west, and south sides, currently encompasses a total approximation of 240 acres, with 39% green space and over 37 acres of tree cover. The Campus Forests and its benefits for overall health and sustainability have become an increasing priority at UIC, as we are home to over 3,500 trees, of roughly 100 different species.
UC became a Bee Campus USA in the Spring of 2017 (https://www.beecityusa.org/current-bee-campuses.html). A majority of open space at UIC is comprised of lawns. Just 0.1 acres of campus land houses native plantings. Existing pollinator habitats include rain gardens adjacent to LEED-Gold certified classroom buildings of 1,000 square feet, a native plant garden near the west campus of 2,000 square feet, a monarch butterfly habitat, a bioswale, and the UIC Plant Research Laboratory.
Documentation affirming the certification(s):
Website URL where information affirming the certification(s) 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.