| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.06 |
| Liaison | Dave Barbier |
| Submission Date | March 22, 2024 |
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
IN-16: Green Athletics
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 0.50 |
Sergio
Romero Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution’s green athletics program include the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Zero waste and/or carbon neutral athletic events | --- |
| A stadium or arena certified under a green building rating system | --- |
| A sustainable food and beverage purchasing program that includes athletic event vendors and concessions | --- |
| A program to minimize the sustainability impacts of turf management (e.g., by installing low input turfgrass or environmentally preferable artificial turf) | Yes |
| A program to support more sustainable transportation options for athletic events | Yes |
| Community engagement efforts, e.g. to educate students and fans/supporters about the institution’s sustainability initiatives | Yes |
| An athletic team certification program | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s green athletics program:
UWSP joined the Green Sports Alliance in 2021 in an effort to make more strides towards sustainability across all parts of campus.
Utilizing the UWSP and Stevens Point public transit there has been a big push for our community and our athletes to use more sustainable transportation including carpooling and biking to events.
In several instances there have been campaigns during the season or games that contribute towards sustainability goals such as planting trees based on scores, composting counts after events and discounts for bringing a reusable water bottle.
Previously, athletics have already transitioned from boxed popcorn receptacles to recyclable paper bags and added recyclable containers at all home events. The athletic department provided all staff members with reusable water bottles to transport daily. Finally, the athletic administration completed the Great Apple Crunch. The Great Apple Crunch supports local farmers and healthy eating by biting into a locally grown apple.
By keeping up-to-date with the latest advancements in seed technology, the UWSP Grounds Work Unit uses grass seed that is encapsulated with both starter fertilizer to accelerate root development and a water retention polymer designed to keep grass seeds hydrated between waterings. The water retention polymer provides additional protection should you miss a watering because the special coating retains water when the soil is moist and automatically releases it when the soil is dry. This makes the seed ideal for growing grass, plus environmentally friendly because it contains just the right amount of fertilizer so there is no worry about excess fertilizer disrupting the surrounding environment. With the addition of the water retention polymer, UWSP is able to conserve water.
The Grounds Work Unit also utilizes Regenerating Perennial Ryegrass, or RPR, a subspecies of traditional perennial ryegrass that was developed specifically to withstand heavy traffic and rapidly recover. This seed technology allows high traffic areas such as a football practice field to recover faster with less watering, again conserving natural resources.
Utilizing the UWSP and Stevens Point public transit there has been a big push for our community and our athletes to use more sustainable transportation including carpooling and biking to events.
In several instances there have been campaigns during the season or games that contribute towards sustainability goals such as planting trees based on scores, composting counts after events and discounts for bringing a reusable water bottle.
Previously, athletics have already transitioned from boxed popcorn receptacles to recyclable paper bags and added recyclable containers at all home events. The athletic department provided all staff members with reusable water bottles to transport daily. Finally, the athletic administration completed the Great Apple Crunch. The Great Apple Crunch supports local farmers and healthy eating by biting into a locally grown apple.
By keeping up-to-date with the latest advancements in seed technology, the UWSP Grounds Work Unit uses grass seed that is encapsulated with both starter fertilizer to accelerate root development and a water retention polymer designed to keep grass seeds hydrated between waterings. The water retention polymer provides additional protection should you miss a watering because the special coating retains water when the soil is moist and automatically releases it when the soil is dry. This makes the seed ideal for growing grass, plus environmentally friendly because it contains just the right amount of fertilizer so there is no worry about excess fertilizer disrupting the surrounding environment. With the addition of the water retention polymer, UWSP is able to conserve water.
The Grounds Work Unit also utilizes Regenerating Perennial Ryegrass, or RPR, a subspecies of traditional perennial ryegrass that was developed specifically to withstand heavy traffic and rapidly recover. This seed technology allows high traffic areas such as a football practice field to recover faster with less watering, again conserving natural resources.
Website URL where information about the green athletics program is available:
Optional Fields
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.