| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.31 |
| Liaison | Rob Andrejewski |
| Submission Date | Dec. 23, 2024 |
University of Richmond
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
Daniel
Hart Associate Director of Sustainability and Environmental Justice Office for Sustainability |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
The University owns 97.78 acres in Goochland county, VA, under open easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the first conservation easement in the state. The conservation values attributed to this property include preservation of natural and scenic areas, preservation of land as open space, and preservation of forest and farmland. The site also allows the study of animal and plant life in its natural state. The property is mostly forested and consists of wetlands and marsh. The forest is composed of mixed hardwoods, with several areas containing pines. Beaverdam Creek flows south through the entire property, no structures are on the property, which is mainly used for education purposes.
In accordance with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, the University has developed and maintains a Resource Protection Area buffer along Little Westham Creek, Westhampton Lake, and adjacent wetlands to protect water quality by allowing runoff to be absorbed into the forest soils and by acting as a vegetative filter.
UR Eco-Corridor
The Eco-Corridor is an 18-acre parcel of campus in a flood plain protected by the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act. An easement protects the restored stream bed and adjacent shoreline of Little Westham Creek. The Eco-Corridor (as the project became known) incorporates past planning efforts, our University value of stewardship, and the voices of the UR community. Ideas for the site were (and continue to be) developed with the involvement of various stakeholders on and off campus. Prior to any changes to the land, a design charrette gathered ideas from faculty members, students, neighbors, cyclists, and others interested around four key elements: stream restoration, construction of a recreation trail, removal of invasive species, and stormwater management.
Prior to 2018, Little Westham Creek had steep, eroded banks and a straight, channelized route that impeded its ecological function. The restoration included rerouting and narrowing the main stream channel, selectively grading the land to increase the size of the floodplain, stabilizing the stream banks, and improving the riparian buffer areas. This resulted in better flow, reduced nutrient loading (primarily nitrogen and phosphorous), increased groundwater infiltration, and support for biodiversity in and along the creek. These efforts also improve the health of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay watersheds by improving downstream water quality and reducing total maximum daily loads of pollutants entering waterbodies.
The Eco-Corridor pathway is a multi-use recreational amenity that connects two major Richmond bike routes and offers an ADA-accessible path for faculty, staff, and students to take to River Road (and on to the James River). Signs along the trail educate visitors about the native plantings, stormwater features, and the restoration project. A seating area is available in the outdoor classroom near the southern terminus. On the opposite end of the trail, large boulders excavated from another campus project provide natural seating close to the banks of Little Westham Creek.
Despite the presence of faculty who used this area of land for research and field studies, the area between paved pathway and Little Westham Creek had not been actively managed for years and was inundated by invasive species. English ivy, Chinese privet, Japanese stiltgrass, and other plants inhospitable to the local insects, birds, and bats that keep the ecosystem in balance had taken over. Traditional methods of removal involve gas-powered equipment and chemical pesticides. Staff from RES recommended a different, biological approach: bring in goats to clear unwanted plants.
In 2018, Afton, Virginia-based company Goatbusters brought a herd of herbivores to campus, much to the delight of the local community. The goats got to work munching on porcelain berry, poison ivy, and anything else they could get their jaws on. The goats and their watchful dog were on campus for six weeks and did an extraordinary job. They thoroughly cleared the ground cover, but they could not reach many of the climbing vines that were endangering the health of dozens of mature trees. The remaining undesirable plants were treated with mechanical means (loppers and chainsaws) and spot treatment with chemicals that meet our integrated pest management standards.
Though some trees and plants were removed as part of the restoration’s expanded flood plain, more than 9,000 native trees and an additional 15,000 grasses, flowers, forbs, and shrubs have been put planted since 2018. As they mature, these plantings will help keep some invasive species at bay. In addition to retaining a community garden that has long existed within the Eco-Corridor, UR established two pollinator meadows that welcome local butterflies, birds, bats, and insects. We continue to manage the area for invasive species with the help of local from Conservation Services and the help of student volunteers.
Before restoration work began, torrents of water from the Westhampton Lake spillway and tributaries from the east would rush down the creek and straight into the river—carrying fertilizer, sediment, and other pollutants with it. The project incorporated best practices in stormwater management, such as step pools and rain gardens, that aim to slow water and increase infiltration to reduce non-point source pollution in the Eco-Corridor and the James River watershed. These practices also limit the amount of erosion occurring along the stream channel.
Endangered and vulnerable species
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
While University faculty have conducted dozens of plant and animal surveys, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects, we have not completed a formal study of threatened or vulnerable species. Some of these surveys include frequent Bio-Blitz's, which serve as opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and community members to document species on campus, please see supportive links below for additional information.
Areas of biodiversity importance
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
The wetland area in the Eco-Corridor is home to a wide diversity of fish, amphibians, mammals, birds, and insects. Restoration of the Eco-Corridor has supported many declining species, including the brown-headed nuthatch, the bluebird, the Big-Eared bat, and the American bumble bee, among other native bees.
Methodologies
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
We have listed more than 100 bird species, posted multiple wildlife cameras, do live, small mammal trapping, tracked eDNA of fish in Westhampton Lake and Little Westham Creek, and this project is now almost completed with over 8,000 trees (138 species) mapped: https://urichmond.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/91c1808f2d3249ef95191bbcdf47b2a7.
Harvest mice have found there way to the Eco-Corridor recently. Bio-Blitz events present an opportunity to quantify threatened species on campus.
The University of Richmond Arbororicultural Plan recommends that the majority of new trees planted on campus come from the category of excellent species desirability chart, which was designed to prioritize indigenous, long-living, and low-maintenence trees. These trees are often keystone species that provide the cornerstone for a healthy forest habitat. The “Trees and Shrubs of the UR Campus” website, developed by Tihomir Kostadinov and Dr. John Hayden, found no endangered or vulnerable trees and shrubs. UR is also currently in process to pursue the Tree Campus designation and aims to develop a campus tree plan per the Tree Campus requirements.
The Eco-Corridor, an 18-acre section of campus and site of a stream restoration in 2019-2020, was analyzed for the presence of endangered and vulnerable species most recently in 2021. We assess the benthic macroinvertabrate communities in the Little Westham Creek using protocols adapted from the Virginia Save Our Streams methods. The benefits of maintaining a dynamic population of native wildlife along the corridor are immeasurable.
In 2022, UR hired it's first Natural Areas Steward, a full-tim position that is responsibile for managing natural spaces on campus and promoting biodiversity and conservation.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The aboricultural plan and current tree geotagging effort are campus-wide efforts. They rest of the programs are smaller in scale and scope.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Areas near Westhampton Lake and Little Westham Creek have been identified as high-need areas, as campus development has led to soil erosion, poor water quality, less water reaching groundwater, and flooding issues. The Campus Master Plan outlines these priorities.
Plantings in the Eco-Corridor support a diversity of animals. Two pollinator meadows provide habitat and food to insects, birds, and mamma;s. More than 20,000 trees and woody shrubs have been planted, all of them native species. With the hiring of UR's Natural Areas Steward, we are currently in process to develop an invasive species management plan and campus tree plan.
Optional Fields
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The University regularly conducts Bio-Blitz's with the aim of documenting biodiversity and species on campus.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/university-of-richmond-eco-corridor-bio-blitz-fall-2023
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/winter-2024-eco-corridor-university-of-richmond
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/university-of-richmond-natural-areas
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.