Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.79
Liaison Mike Wilson
Submission Date Jan. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Victoria
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.47 / 2.00 Bentley Sly
Manager, Grounds and Environmental Services
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
402 Acres

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 171 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 151 Acres
Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) 0 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 322 Acres

If the total area of managed grounds is less than the total campus area, provide:

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):
Building footprints and impervious surfaces have been excluded.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program 

Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
53.11

If reporting an IPM program, provide:

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
---

A brief description of the IPM program:
While UVic does not have a formal IPM process, we operate within an IPM framework (with the exception of setting thresholds) to influence decision making when considering insect control in the areas of horticulture and landscape maintenance. This includes anticipating problems where possible and dealing with them preventatively as well as by using best industry practices wherever practical. Pesticides are only used when all other options have been considered and confirmed to not be effective under the circumstance. Where determined to be necessary, only the least toxic material specific for the target is selected and only applied by certified applicators and only at the lowest recommended rate. In the summer months, watering and grass cutting is eliminated in parts of campus determined to be "naturalized areas".

Organic Program

Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
46.89

If reporting an organic program, provide:

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:
UVic maintains several large forested areas, which largely grow wild. Maintenance practices are limited to removing dangerous trees from path systems, invasive species pulls, and native species plantings. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used in the maintenance of these areas.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
Native plants are used in landscaping around all new buildings (LEED Gold standard) and are integrated into gardens on all other areas of campus where appropriate. Invasive species such as ivy is pulled manually on a regular basis as required, by Grounds staff and student volunteers.

A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The university follows a storm water management plan (See: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/policy/integrated-stormwater-management-plan.pdf) - Includes storm water detention practices in new building design and construction - Includes use of rain garden technology in landscape design and construction - Includes use of green roof technology in building design and construction where practical

A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
All campus garden waste including grass and tree clippings, are sent to be composted at local facility, Mitchel Bros Farm. The multch from trees and branches multched onsite is spread on gardens and trails across campus.

A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
Landscapes around the six LEED buildings on campus are designed to promote energy efficiency of the buildings by providing shade in the summer.

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):
UVic Grounds and Parking Services use only rock salt when required for snow and ice removal and used in very limited amounts due to our mild westcoast climate.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
While UVic does not have a formal Integrated Pest Management (IPM) process, we operate within an IPM framework (with the exception of setting thresholds) to influence decision making when considering insect control in the areas of horticulture and landscape maintenance. This includes anticipating problems where possible and dealing with them preventatively as well as by using best industry practices wherever practical. Pesticides are only used when all other options have been considered and confirmed to not be effective under the circumstance. Where determined to be necessary, only the least toxic material specific for the target is selected and only applied by certified applicators and only at the lowest recommended rate. In the summer months, watering and grass cutting is eliminated in parts of campus determined to be "naturalized areas". More information can be found here: http://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/operations/grounds/index.php and in the Storm Water Management Plan (https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/2004.Integrated.Stormwater.Management.Plan..pdf) and the Campus Plan

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.