| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.93 |
| Liaison | Emily Zabanah |
| Submission Date | Feb. 1, 2024 |
Seneca Polytechnic
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Courtney
Hayes Sustainability Specialist - Operations Office of Sustainability |
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:
EATON HALL HABITAT ENHANCEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION PLAN
Seneca's King Campus is a 284‐hectare (703 acres) property located four kilometers north of King City, Ontario in the Oak Ridge’s Moraine. The King Campus is a mosaic of diverse forests, wetlands, vernal pools, grasslands and agricultural fields as well as institution buildings, farm buildings, road/trail system, a natural kettle lake and is part of the Humber River Watershed.
The wetlands within King Campus area are part of a larger wetland complex that was identified as the Eaton Hall Mary Hackett wetland complex in 1999. The entire complex received a score of 205 for its biological components through the Ministry of Natural Resources Wetland Evaluation program. A score of 200 or better is considered significant. The wetland complex is one the largest and most diverse on the Oak Ridges Moraine and is very well known for its kettle lakes and its large adjacent upland woodlands. It is an important area for local and migrating wildlife and also plays a critical role in ground water discharge in the area.
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:
SPECIES AT RISK WITHIN 1KM2 RADIUS OF PROPERTY
Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens) [Special Concern]
Jefferson salamander [Endangered]
SPECIES AT RISK ON PROPERTY
Butternut [Endangered]
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:
The King Campus lies at the north end of the Lake Ontario watershed, situated within the Eathon Hall-Mary-Hackett Lakes Wetland Complex. This complex contains several kettle lakes, swaps and wetlands.
The numerous kettle lakes, ponds and streams in the Township of King flow southwards and form the headwaters of the Humber River, which empties into Lake Ontario. Lake Seneca is a good example of one of many typical, shallow‐bottomed kettle lakes in the area.
The wetlands and streams display the typical characteristics of the surrounding area: the waters are murky and slow flowing; there are inundated cedar swamps and vernal pools.
The property is situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and within Ontario’s Greenbelt. ORM land designations for the property include natural core areas, natural linkages and countryside landscapes. The forest cover at the Seneca Woodlands is significant because it contains patches of old growth forest and wetlands and adds to the limited forest cover in the area. A section of the Oak Ridges Trail crosses the northern part of the property.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Seneca hired SILV-ECON, who wrote the 2019-2038 Forestry Management Plan. It addresses the different natural features on the property and the objectives of the landowners through an integrated resource management approach and within a realistic framework.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The assessment was done for King Campus. This managed forest plan provides detailed inventory and mapping of the property’s vegetation communities, infrastructure such as trails and access points, as well as trail amenities such as benches, board walks and bridge water crossings. It also identifies and quantifies the location of invasive species. The plan is intended to support future planning for environmental protection, biological diversity, recreation, nature appreciation, wildlife, forest products and investment objectives for the next 20 years, January 1, 2019 ‐ December 31, 2038. Recommended management activities are provided for the ten‐year period, January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2028.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Seneca conducts ecological assessments at a project scale when doing new construction projects. For example, the new building at King campus conducted an intensive ecological assessment to build in a way that does not disrupt the water system or damage surrounding ecosystems.
King Campus has a forestry management program in place because of the last ecological assessment, see below.
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.