Green Grounds
Green Grounds
The Campus Grounds crew has implemented a number of environmentally sound practices in their efforts to keep the College of Wooster campus in beautiful condition, including:
- Recycling all campus yard waste into mulch for use on campus
- Using turfgrass that has lower water requirements
- Soil testing for proper fertilization rates
- Using fertilizers that are slow release
- Using native plants in the landscape
- Using perennials within the landscape
- Recycling of construction debris
- Using natural stones/rocks in the landscape
- Parking blocks used on campus are made from recycled materials
- Using new and improved 2 cycle engines
- Parts washer solvents are recycled
- Used oils and fluids are used for heating source for local businesses
- All scrap metal is recycled
- All trash that is pick-up off of the grounds is placed in recycling dumpsters
- All trash waste produced in all Grounds Dept. work spaces is recycled
- Irrigation plans are designed by an EPA Water Sense certified consultant
- Treating the campus as an "Urban Forest": 128 trees were planted in 2007, only 48 trees were removed
- Ice Melt used is naturally safe on vegetation
- Materials used in seeding practices are made from recycled materials
- 94% of the vendors used by the Campus Grounds Dept. are Ohio based
- One golf course mower has been converted to run on recycled vegetable oil from Campus Dining Services
- Currently testing the use of biodiesel in a tractor used on the golf course
We also salute the Campus Grounds crew on their receipt of the 2007 Green Star Grand Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society for their landscaping work around the Kauke Hall renovation!
To highlight the importance of environmental sustainability on campus, Beau Mastrine and Mark Niemczyk of the campus grounds crew evaluated and described the importance of trees on The College of Wooster campus.