| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.39 |
| Liaison | Heather Elliott |
| Submission Date | Aug. 19, 2022 |
Vanier College
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Heather
Elliott Sustainability Officer Facilities |
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:
Vanier College owns a field station in Gore, Quebec, which contains 5 acres of land and is adjacent to a combination of private property and crown land. The land contains two buildings, one which functions as a field station and includes a laboratory, classroom, dorm rooms, kitchen, rec room, offices and storage space. The second building is the garage and is used for storing materials. There is also a small boathouse where we keep aquatic materials including life jackets and paddles.
The land is adjacent to property owned by the city of Lachute as well as private landowners who manage their land for a variety of purposes. The city of Lachute land includes an aquatic reservoir, which is protected. In addition, the newest acquisition of the Vanier land is a one- acre parcel that we are protecting for conservation purposes and on which we collect annual data. Our land also contains a sensitive marsh ecosystem.
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
All of the following species can be found at the Vanier College Field Station, with the exception of Dekay’s Brownsnake, which can be found at the main campus of the College.
Birds: Canada Warbler (Quebec- vulnerable, IUCN- least concern), Eastern Whip-Poor Will (IUCN-near threatened), Wood Thrush (IUCN- near threatened), Eastern Wood-Pewee (IUCN- least concern)
Mammals: Southern Flying Squirrel (Quebec- vulnerable, IUCN- least concern)
Herps: Pickerel Frog (Quebec-vulnerable, IUCN- least concern), Dekay's Brownskake (IUCN- least concern)
Insects: Monarch butterfly (IUCN- least concern)
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
Vanier college owns nearly 2.5 hectares of land in the township of Gore which is within the Laurentian foothills of Quebec. This land is comprised of a diversity of habitat types but is composed primarily of mixed forest and marshland. A variety of adjacent properties not owned by the college are utilized throughout the Summer and Fall semesters for several course-related activities with students, whereby increasing the amount of habitat types our students can gain exposure to. On the main campus in Ville St. Laurent, although there are no ""wild"" spaces per se, the large expanses of green space as well as abundant trees do create a relatively natural feel. The recent additions of expansive
gardens and bird feeding areas add another dimension to the biodiversity by creating new opportunity for different species. Running along side most of the main campus is a cemetery which boasts a thick tree line and serves as a corridor for many species at different times of year. Proximity of the main campus to biodiversity hotspots like the Technoparc wetlands lends itself to many wildlife observations nearby as many animals, primarily birds, can be seen flying over campus.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
We use our land, and the surrounding area for teaching purposes and since we are training students to perform wildlife and vegetation surveys, identification of endangered and vulnerable species comes with the territory. The land is surveyed annually via exercises included bird banding, small mammal trapping and herpetology surveys.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
These assessments are not done for the sake of the assessment but rather are performed in the context of teaching students. As such, protocols are put in place annually and the area of each assessment can change annually.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Since the land is owned by an educational institution, we can control the number of people and all the activities that are engaged in on the property. As such we protect the land ourselves and it is generally closed to the public. We work closely with animal care committees, as well as municipal, provincial and federal governments to acquire permits for the capture and release of species. All data is reported to the aforementioned bodies and as such we ensure that the presence of vulnerable and endangered species is known.
Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :
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.