| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.39 |
| Liaison | Margo Margo Nottoli |
| Submission Date | Aug. 24, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Warren Wilson College
OP-10: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.81 / 2.00 |
Alison
Climo Director of Institutional Effectiveness Institutional Effectiveness |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds::
| Area | |
| Total campus area | 1,100 Acres |
| Footprint of the institution's buildings | 20 Acres |
| Area of undeveloped land, excluding any protected areas | 600 Acres |
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Area of managed grounds that is::
| Area | |
| Managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan | 0 Acres |
| Managed in accordance with a sustainable landscape management program that includes an IPM plan and otherwise meets the criteria outlined | 180 Acres |
| Managed organically, third party certified and/or protected | 300 Acres |
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A copy of the IPM plan:
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The IPM plan :
The 300 acres of Warren Wilson College garden and farm manage pests using crop rotation, poultry, and by maintaining soil health through cover cropping. The spraying of organic management acceptable insecticides (such as insecticidal soap) is done only as a last resort in case of an outbreak. The 800 acres of College Forest uses controlled burning to manage invasive species. The hemlock woolly adelgid has infested the College Forest and soil injections are being used on select stands to preserve them. Core campus is managed with organic fertilizer (turkey poop), aeration, and the maintaining of healthy biodiversity.
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A brief summary of the institution’s approach to sustainable landscape management:
We plant bushes on campus that will not attract pests for the other plants. We grow native grasses instead of lawns, which are burned back twice a year.
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A brief description of how the institution protects and uses existing vegetation, uses native and ecologically appropriate plants, and controls and manages invasive species:
Native plants are used extensively and we strive to eliminate areas of turf that are not utilized and plant them into meadows of native grasses and wildflowers. The current Landscaping management plan calls for 100% native plantings. To date, the 60 acre core campus has reduced turf grass to 8 aces, 5 of which are athletic fields. We currently have over 6 acres of native grass and wildflower nurseries to supply plantings for campus and, when we have excess, the community at large.
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A brief description of the institution’s landscape materials management and waste minimization policies and practices:
WWC does not pick up grass clippings as they contribute up to a third of required nutrients and are left where they lay. Weeds are composted on campus. Any trimmings that are woody are chipped if they are large enough or burned if they are too small to be chipped. Typically, about 95% is chipped or composted and less than 5% is burned. Nothing is taken off site, all hardwood and softwood waste is sawed into lumber for buildings, or rendered into firewood or chips.
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A brief description of the institution’s organic soils management practices:
The fields of the Warren Wilson Farm go through a rotation between crop production, cattle grazing and being a lay field. The garden is intensively managed by organic practices to maintain a fertile soil
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A brief description of the institution’s use of environmentally preferable materials in landscaping and grounds management:
The wood chips used in our landscaping efforts are taken from the wood chips generated through sustainable harvesting of our forests.
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A brief description of how the institution restores and/or maintains the integrity of the natural hydrology of the campus:
Warren Wilson College has the Swannanoa River running through the farm. A riparian buffer zone of well established trees is maintained all along the river, and cows are not allowed to enter the river.
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A brief description of how the institution reduces the environmental impacts of snow and ice removal (if applicable):
Snow is plowed using machinery and shovels. Sawdust is spread on parts of campus when it is icy, and salt is used on roadways and sidewalks when necessary. We have used sand in the past, but it was too dangerous putting it out by hand-mechanical spreaders are extremely costly and local weather patterns don't justify the cost. We have also tried alternative methods for melting ice, but they are not affordable within the college budget.
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A brief description of any certified and/or protected areas:
Broyles Ridge was set aside in 2010 as a protected "Future Late Successional Reserve". This is a totally internal designation - no third party - that takes the compartment out of timber production and closes it to the general public. The garden is not organically certified. The area below Jensen parking lot up to Holden was set aside to off set the land used to develop the Villages dorms. This was important for gold LEED on the building.
Sent from my iPhone
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Is the institution recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA program (if applicable)?:
Yes
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The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management programs and practices is available:
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.