| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.31 |
| Liaison | Rob Andrejewski |
| Submission Date | Dec. 23, 2024 |
University of Richmond
IN-20: Grounds Certification
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Rob
Andrejewski Director of Sustainability Office for 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) | --- |
| Bee Campus USA | Yes |
| Demeter Biodynamic | --- |
| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management standard | --- |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List Standard | --- |
| National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat Program | --- |
| An Organic standard or Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) endorsed by IFOAM | --- |
| Salmon-Safe | --- |
| Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) | --- |
| Tree Campus USA (Arbor Day Foundation) | No |
| An equivalent program approved by AASHE | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s third party certified land holdings:
University of Richmond is a certified Bee Campus USA affiliate. This recognition acknowledges that the campus is conducive to pollinators, supporting the pollinator community with a variety of habitats around campus.
Pollinators are an essential part of our agriculture and our ecosystems. Climate change, pesticides, and herbicides have all contributed to bee populations' global decline. We rely on honey bees to pollinate many of our crops, so this is not just an environmental issue, but also an issue of food security. In order to support pollinators on campus, University of Richmond has two campus beehives, a pollinator meadow, and native plantings across campus.
Our two campus hives are located between the Wilton Center and the Steam Plant. The Department of Biology manages these hives, which are home to more than 45,000 bees, and uses them for hands-on research. As part of an ecology course, students have planted two small pollinator gardens near the hives.
Two pollinator meadows containing milkweed and other native flowers is located near the campus community garden in the Eco-Corridor. All the plants in the Eco-Corridor are native to the Greater Richmond Area and 42% are recognized to be pollinator friendly, supporting local bees as well as butterflies and other pollinators. Removal of invasive species from the area has allowed native plants to flourish and thrive, resulting in increased attraction of local pollinators. Increased pollinator populations helps improve the health of the local ecosystem and supports biodiversity.
University of Richmond's Integrated Pest Management Plan outlines a sustainable approach to handling pests that negatively intefere with University facilities. The plan considers an approach that minimizes environmental, health, and economic risks.
The Bee Campus committee meets quarterly. Committee members are listed below.
Documentation affirming the certification(s):
Website URL where information affirming the certification(s) is available:
Optional Fields
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.