Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.14
Liaison Sean Vormwald
Submission Date April 4, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Onondaga Community College
OP-10: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.51 / 2.00 Sean Vormwald
Director of Sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety
Office of Sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds::
Area
Total campus area 280 Acres
Footprint of the institution's buildings 15 Acres
Area of undeveloped land, excluding any protected areas 20 Acres

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 239.60 Acres
Managed organically, third party certified and/or protected 5.40 Acres

A copy of the IPM plan:
The IPM plan :

The College's sustainable landscape management practices include integrated pest management. Please see the sustainable landscape management section below for a description of Onondaga's IPM practices.


A brief summary of the institution’s approach to sustainable landscape management:

The College developed a Sustainable Landscape Master Plan that provides guidelines for maintaining the landscape in a sustainable manner including minimizing pesticide use, utilizing native plants, and managing stormwater runoff. The accompanying Sustainable Landscape Maintenance Manual provides detailed information for selecting appropriate plants and maintaining the plants. The College utilizes IPM to manage pests on all campus grounds. Pesticide usage on campus has been kept to a minimum. Weeds are pulled by hand when possible and herbicides are sprayed only when necessary. The mowing heights on all lawnmowers are raised to promote healthier stands of turf grass, reducing the weed population. The College is also implementing the Sustainable Landscape Master Plan, which includes allowing meadows to grow in many areas across campus, further reducing the need for pesticides.


A brief description of how the institution protects and uses existing vegetation, uses native and ecologically appropriate plants, and controls and manages invasive species:

The College developed a Sustainable Landscape Master Plan that provides guidelines for protecting existing vegetation, and planting native and low maintenance plants across campus. The accompanying Sustainable Landscape Maintenance Manual provides detailed information for selecting appropriate plants.


A brief description of the institution’s landscape materials management and waste minimization policies and practices:

The College utilizes mulching lawnmowers and leaves grass trimmings in place on mown areas to naturally decompose, minimizing waste from plant material.


A brief description of the institution’s organic soils management practices:

The College utilizes mulching lawnmowers and leaves grass trimmings in place on mown areas to naturally decompose. This naturally fertilizes the areas contributing to soil nutrient cycling.


A brief description of the institution’s use of environmentally preferable materials in landscaping and grounds management:

The College utilizes natural compost from the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency as a natural fertilizer for the campus. The compost is made from composted food waste, including food waste from Onondaga Community College's cafeteria.


A brief description of how the institution restores and/or maintains the integrity of the natural hydrology of the campus:

The College has implemented many stormwater management strategies including rain gardens and permeable pavement.


A brief description of how the institution reduces the environmental impacts of snow and ice removal (if applicable):

The College utilizes rotary brushes whenever possible to remove snow from walkways in order to reduce the amount of salt used. Salt is also applied to specific areas that need it rather than applying salt everywhere. The timing of the salt application is also considered in order to maximize its effectiveness and ensure its efficient use, such as limiting salting during overnight plowing shifts.


A brief description of any certified and/or protected areas:

The protected lands include 5.4 acres that was set aside as protected land for two LEED Gold certified buildings.


Is the institution recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA program (if applicable)?:
No

The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management programs and practices is available:
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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.