| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 35.38 |
| Liaison | Rachael Rost-Allen |
| Submission Date | June 17, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Johnson County Community College
OP-10: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 2.00 |
Kim
Criner Student Sustainability Engagement Coordinator Center for Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds::
| Area | |
| Total campus area | 245 Acres |
| Footprint of the institution's buildings | 17.85 Acres |
| Area of undeveloped land, excluding any protected areas | 178.11 Acres |
None
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 | 0 Acres |
| Managed organically, third party certified and/or protected | 0 Acres |
None
A copy of the IPM plan:
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None
The IPM plan :
While not a "plan", these are the current relevant campus practices:
The campus farm (2+ acres) has an 8 year crop rotation plan that deters pests from finding plants as quickly the following year.
There is an area of planting beds in Fountain Square in the interior campus where large flying wasps or Cicada Killers are tolerated and signage encourages passersby to pay them no mind as a means of controlling cicadas.
None
A brief summary of the institution’s approach to sustainable landscape management:
The approach is unofficially to cut down on and seek alternatives to inputs wherever able while still maintaining the campus aesthetic, most notably:
The large swath of maintained lawn extending from the northwest to the southeast has been planted with buffalo grass, a native adapted species. One blanket of pre-emergent herbicide is applied once a year to keep stronger weeds from strangling out the buffalo grass. Grass is allowed to grow longer here and is mowed only about ?
For athletic fields: one blanket of pre-emergent in the spring and spotted post-emergent only as needed. The renovated baseball field is now artificial turf and requires no inputs.
None
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 stormwater management project contains more than 50,000 individual native plants from 21 different species for low/no maintenance (an ecological landscaper is on contract to perform three annual maintenance visits, which include sustainable management of weeds in the project) stormwater mitigating landscape.
An area of native prairie, approximately one-acre is used by as a learning lab for Science and Kansas History classes. But it is spot sprayed for the invasive lespedeza, for which there seems to be no alternative without burning the prairie as it ought to be maintained, which is nor permitted by the city.
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A brief description of the institution’s landscape materials management and waste minimization policies and practices:
Our grounds crew maintains a compost pile for grass and brush debris. They also use a chipper for wood and limb waste.
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A brief description of the institution’s organic soils management practices:
The campus farm is fertilized with only compost and organic fertilizers when needed. An 8 year crop rotation plan also deliberately lends to soil quality.
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A brief description of the institution’s use of environmentally preferable materials in landscaping and grounds management:
Compost from the diverted landscaping piles are used to fertilize flower beds. Wood chips from wood and tree waste are used as mulch around campus. And grasses and perennials are often transplanted and used in other beds as areas are refreshed.
None
A brief description of how the institution restores and/or maintains the integrity of the natural hydrology of the campus:
Irrigation controllers are tied into building systems, thus they can be controlled and turned off during an unexpected rain event.
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A brief description of how the institution reduces the environmental impacts of snow and ice removal (if applicable):
The grounds crew observes weather forecasts and if approaching temperatures are warm enough to melt snowfall during non-peak times they will forego plowing and/or salting and leave it up to mother nature.
None
A brief description of any certified and/or protected areas:
n/a
None
Is the institution recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA program (if applicable)?:
No
None
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:
The farm will be pursuing organic certification soon.
Include the placement of two student-made bat boxes in next submission for mosquito and other pest management.
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.