Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana Environmental Management Systems

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1 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana Environmental Management Systems SCHOOL Purdue University, 4-year public, land grant institution. Purdue includes an extended network of three regional campuses and main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Total enrollment is approximately 80,000 across the network, 40,000 students comprising the main campus. The main campus offers more than 200 majors for undergraduates, over 70 master s and doctoral programs, and professional degrees in pharmacy and veterinary medicine. ABSTRACT In the Fall of 2011, Purdue University partnered with the Indiana Wildlife Federation (a non-profit affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation) to become the first university campus in the state to be certified as a Sustainable Campus Landscape. This included the development of a comprehensive Sustainable Landscape Plan that highlights existing campus initiatives and outlines future goals to improve landscape management practices. These goals are focused in five program categories, as follows: sustainable lawn maintenance & landscaping reduced use of pesticides and herbicides eradication of invasive species native plant species selection water conservation The Sustainable Landscape Plan was completed in April 2012, receiving Conservation Champion certification. This is the highest level recognized by the Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF). Anticipated benefits include direct reduction in fossil fuel consumption due to mowing recommendations, and an indirect reduction due to a continued decreased use of synthetic commercial fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. In addition to a smaller carbon footprint, Purdue anticipates a notable reduction of chemical runoff from reduced fertilizer and pesticide application, as pervious surface and vegetative bioswale expansions increase infiltration, while an increasing number of drought-resistant, native perennial plants are used in new construction, renovations, and turfgrass replacement. GOALS AND OUTCOMES Goals The primary partnership goal was to work collaboratively with the IWF to develop the first certified Sustainable Campus Landscape Plan in the state. It was intended that this be done in a very short period of time; plan development was scoped for 3-4 months. Simultaneously, it was the goal of the Office of University Sustainability to initiate dialogue across operational units and academic departments to discuss sustainable landscape design and maintenance procedures on Purdue s campus.

2 Plan implementation and improvement are the next steps identified to occur in coming years. Purdue s Sustainable Landscape Plan outlines 20 goals derived from existing practices and desired improvements to guide future decision-making and design. They include: Mow higher, Utilize composting, Research sustainable practices on campus Utilize integrated pest management, Target pest eradication strategies, Mitigate risks of chemical exposure, Utilize chemical-free approaches Develop a removal strategy for invasive species, Minimize the use of exotic plants, Preserve natural areas, Incorporate invasive species into the curriculum, Maintain control with more frequent assessments Landscape disrupted areas with only native species, Plant native species along roadways, Provide riparian buffers near lakes and streams Water only when necessary, Install timers on sprinkler systems, Build rain gardens and bioswales, Use pervious surfaces, Install vegetated roofs Additionally, it is anticipated that the professional networking created during the series of kickoff and review meetings will persist and expand. It is intended that this effort serve as a launching point for future, cross-campus initiatives. Accomplishments and Outcomes We were able to achieve the three primary goals identified by the Office of University Sustainability: completing the plan within 4 months, becoming the first campus in the state to receive certification by the IWF, and a initiating a comprehensive dialogue across landscape management faculty and staff. A strategic planning process was kicked-off in December 2011 by a team representing the Office of University Sustainability, Office of Physical and Capital Planning, Physical Facilities Grounds Department, and University Residences. In addition to developing plan goals, direction, and potential implementation strategies, kickoff session participants harnessed the opportunity to network with cross-campus colleagues. Purdue University is a sizable campus environment in which professionals have limited time to interact with professional peers in other offices or management structures. Difficult to quantify, many would agree that there is value in personal connection and professional exchange to improve processes, reduce redundancies, and streamline activities. After the meeting, a student writing intern was assigned the task of working with each of the various campus units to document existing practices and develop draft language for each of the goals. A comprehensive draft plan was presented for review in March 2012 to core operational departments listed above as well as the departments of Forestry and Natural Resources, Turfgrass Science, and Botany and Plant Pathology/Pesticide Programs and the Division of Recreational Sports, and 2

3 Intercollegiate Athletics Golf Complex with faculty representation from the departments of Agronomy and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. While the second meeting provided a forum for necessary content review, it also reinforced relationships and expanded participation within the professional network. There are a number of faculty members on campus with agronomic, horticultural, and turfgrass expertise, conducting research in areas that would be beneficial to incorporate into campus landscapes. Second meeting exchange included their perspectives and ideas during review, as well as within the network. Comments were integrated and the plan was finalized in early April The IWF hosted a ceremony to award its first certification to an Indiana campus on April 23, The Purdue University Sustainable Landscape Plan was recognized with the highest level of certification: Conservation Champion. Challenges and Responses IWF partner and Purdue community response have been overwhelmingly positive. The willingness of faculty and operational staff to invest time, energy, and interest in the plan was an indicator of enthusiasm for the project. One of the primary challenges to this project was the rapid turnaround required to meet timeframes with a document of this scope. Strategic planning involves processes that often cannot be rushed. Additionally, many of the plan contributors are involved in day to day operational tasks, and it was difficult to prioritize plan documentation without creating unnecessary burden of additional work. To resolve this challenge, the Office of University Sustainability tasked a student writing intern to interview representatives from major contributing campus units (many of whom participated in the kickoff meeting). The intern documented the interviews in a draft plan format, which was sent to the representatives for preliminary review. This expedited the process tremendously, resulting in a format that was ready for group review. We discovered that colleagues were very willing to set aside 1-2 hours to walk the intern through existing operations and anticipated future work. The intern reciprocally saved them the time it would take to pull the content into a single draft. A second challenge to plan development was to bridge communication gaps between organizational structures in order to coordinate complementary skill sets and expertise. The second goal was to bring a diverse team together composed of individuals with varying backgrounds. This network not only expanded the relevance and content of the plan itself, but enhanced within-campus communication of sustainability-motivated professionals. We anticipate that the connections made will develop into professional interactions that will serve implementation of the plan as well as future initiatives. Campus Climate Action: Your School s Carbon Footprint Project efforts produced indirect impacts to global climate change. These include decreases in greenhouse gas emissions due to the reduction of fossil fuel and fossil fuel derived products resulting from plan implementation. Commentary and Reflection Developing the Sustainable Landscape Plan provided the Office of Sustainability with an opportunity to harness the breadth and depth of Purdue University s landscape management experience and expertise across campus. As with any strategic plan, interest and faith in the process, intent, and outcome was 3

4 critical. We were thrilled with the response; most of the participants were eager to join the discussion, expressing that it was something they had wanted to do for a long time. As the conversation evolved, it was clear that there were many best practices already in place that many others were simply not aware existed. For example, one of the IWF recommendations for water quality improvement is to eliminate phosphorus application on established turf. When this was brought up in conversation, members chimed in to inform that Purdue s campus had been using phosphorus-free fertilizer for years. For each goal in the plan, there is an accompanying case study that emerged during discussions when someone would exclaim enthusiastically, we re doing that! This example epitomizes what we took away from the experience. When managing a campus that is the size of many small cities or towns, it is important to realize that there are pockets of information and resources available that may simply need to be connected. The stewards of this information may be eager to contribute and participate; they only need to be asked. The trick is discovering who might have the information, and identifying what format might be easiest for participants to use in order to share their knowledge. ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT Leaders and Supporters Primary authors of the Sustainable Landscape Plan included: Ross Blythe, Technical Writing Intern, Office of University Sustainability Gary Evans, Director, Physical Facilities Grounds Department Michael J. Gulich, Director, Office of University Sustainability Will Heidbreder, Landscape Coordinator, University Residences Scott Helmkamp, Supervisor, Physical Facilities Grounds Department Tamm Hoggatt, Assistant Director, Office of University Sustainability Phil Richey, Supervisor, Physical Facilities Grounds Department Don Staley, Campus Landscape Architect, Office of Physical & Capital Planning Feedback and review provided by: Karl Frist, Field Maintenance Supervisor, division of Recreational Sports Robert Joly, Head and Professor, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture James Knapp, Senior Civil Engineer, Office of Physical & Capital Planning Aaron Patton, Assistant Professor, Agronomy James Scott, Golf Complex Superintendent, Intercollegiate Athletics Funding and Resources Primary project costs included staff and faculty time to develop goals and review content. An internship in technical writing through the Office of University Sustainability supported staff time devoted to drafting and revisions. Education and Community Outreach 4

5 Much of the core outreach of this project occurred across departments and operational units to connect the work of staff and faculty. While student involvement has been critical to many of the case studies identified in the Sustainable Landscape Plan, the emphasis of outreach for plan development was within professional communities on campus. Like many large, public institutions, Purdue benefits from a community of incredible individuals with passionate interest and dedication to their work. Because plates are typically full, intentional communication and targeted outreach are often required to engage key staff and faculty to implement intuitive collaboration. National Wildlife Federation s Campus Ecology Program While the NWF Campus Ecology program contributions were indirect, the work of its Indiana affiliate (IWF) was vital in the development of the process and outcomes. This included program conception and staff consultation. CONTACT INFORMATION Contacts Michael J. Gulich, Director, Office of University Sustainability Phone: (765) mgulich@purdue.edu Case study submitted by: Sarah E. Vaughn, Assistant to the Director, Office of University Sustainability Phone: (765) svaughn@purdue.edu MORE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL Campus Sustainability History Many of the elements outlined in this case study build on existing University infrastructure, initiatives, and staff commitment. Purdue University has significantly expanded its sustainability profile in recent years by documenting and improving existing practices while pushing adoption of innovative practices across campus. This began in 2008 with the creation of the Office of University Sustainability, headed by the Director of Sustainability. In January 2010, the University compiled the efforts of a collaborative, campus-stakeholder-driven process that answered the question: What does sustainable development mean for Purdue? The resulting Purdue University Sustainability Strategic Plan (April 2010) highlights the outcomes of that process in a series of eight major sustainability program areas, including: Site Considerations, Water Resources, Energy and Built Environment, Materials Management, Food Systems, Academics and Research, Endowment/Development, and Community Relationships. In the years following, Purdue has pursued improvements in each of these program areas. Additional keywords to search to learn more about sustainability at Purdue include: Boiler Green Initiative, Purdue Green Week, and Black & Gold & Green. Purdue University Sustainability Strategic Plan can be found online at this address: Image Credit: Purdue University Physical and Capital Planning Department 5