| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.46 |
| Liaison | Winnie Mulamba |
| Submission Date | March 13, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 2.00 |
Brian
Pullen Sustainability Planner Facilities Services |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
Butterfly garden designed and paid for by students features only native Florida plants and is certified as both a North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Garden, and a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Foundation. The garden was designed to improve the campus entrance, promote the interaction and appreciation of nature in an urban setting, and to encourage the growth of struggling bee and butterfly populations. The garden provides a calming natural setting for everyone to enjoy. The Butterfly Garden was created in 2014.
A few months ago we completed our Food Forest which entails a permaculturally designed garden, full of native edible crops. However, we also planted native Florida vegetation along with a pond full of native lilly's. This has attracted several reptile species and we are currently working on getting this area also certified with the National Wildlife Foundation.
Finally, we are in the process of adding rain gardens in our new Poynter parking lots. These rain gardens will only entail local vegetation and help retain stormwater, which we hope helps create native ecosystems within the parking lot itself.
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
No
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
No
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
---
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
---
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
USFSP has constructed a living shoreline against the seawall that fills a cubby of the waterfront closest to buildings. Living shorelines are native shoreline areas that are constructed and serve as protective habitats for plants and animals, while at the same time helping to conserve eroding shorelines and better control sea level rise. They can be implemented both in conjunction with existing seawalls as well as with eroding shorelines. The USFSP beach site itself is a Living Shoreline for native plants and animals. Although the sediment can drift depending on the storm season, this small beach acts as a home to several native plants and species. In other words, if that beach were not there, it would just be a seawall with no ecosystem..
Optional Fields
---
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.