| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.36 |
| Liaison | Patricia Huynh |
| Submission Date | Dec. 10, 2024 |
University of Waterloo
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Patricia
Huynh Sustainability Projects Manager Sustainability Office |
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:
Spongy Lake, owned by Waterloo, is Regional Municipality of Waterloo’s Environmentally Sensitive Policy Area (ESPA) #14. This designation restricts development within or near the future. Spongy Lake is protected for its geomorphological significance, hydrological processes, rare ericaceous vegetation, and the birds and insects found here. The kettle hole lake is a nutrient poor fen in early stages of bog succession.
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:
Bat detectors have been used to monitor bat species on campus. In 2023, a variety of species were detected:
- Endangered: Eastern Red Bat, Hoary Bat, Eastern Red Bat, Little Brown Myotis, Silver-haired Bat
Monarch butterflies (endangered) have also been observed on campus: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/university-of-waterloo
Areas of biodiversity importance
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
Waterloo has a 270 acre environmental reserve which is dedicated to teaching and research as well as a community resource. It includes parkland, Conestoga Lake, and the Laurel Creek. The Laurel Creek also extends through the South Campus and has naturalized shoreline and supports a variety of wildlife before continuing through Waterloo Park.
Methodologies
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
As part of the Living Lab, a number of students were hired to conduct an inventory of all vegetative species on campus, so that assessments can be done of vulnerable and endangered species populations in order to identify remediation or support opportunities. These included natural areas, watershed areas, semi-natural areas, and managed areas.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
Includes all of main campus and north campus
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Waterloo has designated and manages an Environmental Reserve on its North Campus, a 270 acre area along the Laurel Creek and Conestoga Lake within the Grand River watershed with many naturalized areas and is used for study and research.
Waterloo has been recently managing garlic mustard and common buckthorn, and replacing these areas with native herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.
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 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.