| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.34 |
| Liaison | Mary Whitney |
| Submission Date | Nov. 26, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Chatham University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
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 | 0 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 | 435 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 435 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):
All actively managed land is included here for all campuses. Acreage totals do not include buildings.
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:
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:
Since 2000, Chatham University has practiced a pest management plan that bans inorganic pesticides on all campus grounds. In the case of an active termite infestation in a building, an exception may be made, but we make no preemptive application. In 2016, the Eden Hall Campus received the Certificate of Organic Operation from Pennsylvania Certified Organic (USDA Certified Organic), that guarantees that the farm meets organic standards for growing products.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
As part of our landscape program, Chatham University has a practice that prioritizes native species in landscaping that are appropriate to our region. A partial list of current native species includes: Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), Tussilago farfara (colts foot), Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s root), Veronica spicata, Andropogon, gentian, Kalmia latifolia, Magnolia virginiana, Ilex verticillata, Solidago sp. (goldenrod), Echinacea, etc.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
Chatham's Eden Hall Campus is near the top of a watershed, and all landscape management plans for the campus prohibit pesticides. A rainwater harvesting system eases the runoff generated by run off from buildings by maintaining buffers, bioswales, and rain gardens, in order to reduce impact on the local watershed.
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
We have done landscape composting since 2000, and one-hundred-percent of yard waste is composted either off-site (for Shadyside) or on-site (Eden Hall) and is included in our waste totals.
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):
To melt the snow during the winter, we use a product made of calcium, magnesium, and acetate (the specific product is called Landscaper's Choice).
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.