| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.95 |
| Liaison | Kathleen McCaig |
| Submission Date | June 14, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Berea College
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.93 / 2.00 |
Dewey
Williams Grounds Superintendent Facilities |
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach | 632 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials | 8,000 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 8,632 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):
None excluded.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
A copy of the IPM plan or program:
A brief description of the IPM program:
Chemical use is last resort for pest control. In general, the action threshold for pest populations is set very high and usually based on physical harm to the plant or a disruption to a person’s experience on campus. An example would be an abundance of lace-bugs on azaleas not allowing photosynthesis and causing defoliation. Plants are constantly monitored for any problems, and upon finding a problem the pest is identified if present. If a pest is determined to be the cause of a problem, and the action threshold level has been exceeded, then chemical use will be considered. In most cases a safer non chemical control option will be tried first and the cycle of monitoring will begin again. If other options have tried and the problem still persists, then chemical use will be considered. If the pest problem persists for multiple years after control another plant will be considered for the site. During plant selection for landscapes, low maintenance and balance are always top priority for designs, along with proper siting of the selected plants. This generally leads to healthier plant material that is more likely to prevent a pest problem. During maintenance of planted landscapes, proper cultural care is scheduled also to decrease the chance of a pest problem.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
President Larry Shinn instituted an organic landscape management standard in 2010 for 100% of the grounds as well as the use of only organic fertilizers on turf and in flower beds. The College also does not have irrigation.system.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
It is practice when determining plant material for projects first to determine the site requirements of the area, including but not limited to sun exposure, drainage, soil type, height requirements, maintenance requirements, safety needs, etc. After determining these needs, plant material is chosen with 3 different categories of material: native, human edible qualities, non-invasive exotic. The goal of every project is minimum 30% native material used for shrub beds, and 75% for trees. The ultimate goal of every project is a low maintenance, properly sited, and well balanced landscape.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
All grounds related waste is reused. Grass clippings are mulched on site back into the turf. All wood and brush is dumped at a selected location, where burnable wood is given to the community, and all remaining woody material is chipped into mulch for tree rings. Leaves and herbaceous material is stored at another location and reused as leaf mold and compost.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):
Berea College has approximately 9.84 miles of sidewalks and 18.34 acres of parking lot and roadways that are maintained for snow and ice. During inclement winter weather, sidewalks are cleared by 2 to 3 mechanical sweepers, focusing on priority routes first. Building entryways and stairs are hand cleared and salted as needed with MgCl salt. Roads and parking lots are plowed and salted with NaCl rock salt. Throughout the weather event crews are checking all routes and repeating as necessary. If the weather forecast dictates a need for pre-treating, high traffic and high risk safety areas are salted with the above mentioned products, respectively.
The website URL where information about the programs or 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.