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Gail Gunst Heffner, Clarence W. Joldersma,
David Warners, Randy Van Dragt
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
9/24/2009
1
Calvin College
Greening the Campus Presentation
Academically Based Service-Learning as
the entrée to sustainability
Served as a catalyst for significant
institutional change at multiple levels
within the college
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation2
Planktonic
algae declineMassive fish
die-off Stench
Cause: N & P
runoff from
urban fertilizers
Calls from
community &
altered
behavior
Neighbor-
hood
newsletter
Cause: algal bloom
& proliferation of O2-
using bacteria
CEAP
poster
session
Storm water
treatment
system
New earthen berm
& detention pond
English
CEAP
project
Engineering
CEAP
project
Biology
CEAP
project
Community
complaints
Plaster Creek
Watershed
working group
Environmental Stewardship Committee
Statement on Sustainability
College Strategic Plan now includes
sustainability
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation6
Analyze current situation
Determine key players (allies and
naysayers)
Determine what kind of change you want
to happen
Determine clear action plan with
measurable outcomes and accountability
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation8
Establishing & inventorying the campus
Ecosystem Preserve (EP)
Placing the EP in a new campus master
plan
Establishing a difference between
„available‟ space and named space
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation9
1956 - Initial farmland acquired
1962 - First academic buildings
1963-75 - Initial campus build-out
1985-86 - Ecosystem Preserve established
1997-99 – Master planning campus
expansion
2000-present – Master plan build-out
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation10
Preserve local native
habitats & wildlife
Serve as a study area
for the college
Provide a passive
recreational resource
for the college
community
Provide an educational
& recreational resource
for the broader
community
Vertebrate Diversity Fish – 3 species
Amphibians – 8
Reptiles – 9
Birds – 135 recorded
(50 - 60 breeding)
Mammals -- 21
Plant Diversity Plant Species – 235Natives -- 156Non-natives -- 79 Floristic Quality Index
for East Campus:FQI = 45
(Based on native species)
An area of statewide significance
New academic buildings
Conference center
Parking
Athletic fields
Cross-country course
Conclusion: Not enough room on West Campus to meet these needs.
Hydrological, botanical & zoological
inventories provided rationale for
boundaries.
Defining and naming the preserve gave it
a place in campus awareness, culture &
conversation.
Result: The Ecosystem Preserve has
established boundaries containing
nearly 100 acres of native habitats.
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation23
“PE woodlot” extensively studied 2002-2005:- Each individual tree documented (size and
species)- Broader botanical species inventory- 19 species found nowhere else on campus- Regionally rare species discovered- FQI = 37.4 (FQI>35 = „Unmitigable‟)
2005-2006: Extended athletic complex-woodlot negotiations
2006: - More conservative configuration- 1:1 Forest Replacement Mitigation Plan ($75,000)
2007 – 2009 Mitigation implementation
Habitat inventory Botanical inventory C-sequestration capacity (by habitat) C-emissions audit Foodshed assessment Watershed awareness Hydrological inventory Bicycles on campus Bus ridership/Automobile arrivals
Builds a body of baseline data
Creates larger awareness of campus
structure and function
Can help to build value for aspects of
campus structure and function
Builds stakeholder groups within the
campus community
Provides excellent opportunity for
academically-based service learning
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation37
Focus the Nation activities
Sustainability Summit 2008
Sustainability Summit 2009
Sustainability Across the Curriculum 2010
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation38
Multiple identities
Changing lexicon on campus
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation45
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation46
• Situated in a city known for sustainability
• Liberal arts tradition of asking big questions
• Teaching and research is valued
• Strong tradition of faculty governance
• Religious affiliation that affirms care for nature
BUILDING CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY ON THE STRENGTHS OF INSTITUTIONAL AND CULTURAL
IDENTITIES: AN EXAMPLE
Janel M. Curry, Gail Gunst Heffner, Clarence W. Joldersma
The 7th Ball State University Greening of the Campus Conference, Muncie,IN, September 2007
Calvin‟s multiple cultural and
institutional identities
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation47
new concept
resistance
publicity
acceptance
campus social
imaginary
How conversation changes on
campus
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation48
Mitigation
Admin resistance
Student and faculty
conversation
Reluctant acceptance
Normal part of planning
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation49
Nature preserveEnvironmental
assessmentMitigationSustainabilityLandscape
connections (landscape ecology)
Rain gardenWoodlot
Watershed
Campus inventory
Watershed
CEAP
Place
Carbon footprint
Energy scorecard
Restoration efforts
Boundaries
New lexicon at Calvin
Connect to core mission
Pay attention to language
Research as organizing tool
Involve full range of stakeholders
Keep broad base of community partners
Develop plan with specific accountability
For more info, see www.calvin.edu/admin/provost/ceap/
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation50
1) Consider the current status of your college/university: What are your recent
accomplishments to foster greater sustainability in last 1-2 years? Be specific.
What is already underway and what led to these changes?
2) Consider the key players: Who are your allies and who is encouraging the
sustainability initiative at your institution? Who are the road-blockers? Identify
their resistance and how can you use this to make change?
3) What kind of change do you want to affect at your institution? What needs to happen
NOW to move the institution to the next level. Develop a plan of action that is
specific and measurable. Identify who will do what by when. Be sure to include
accountability in your plan. How will you evaluate the success (or failure) of this
action plan?
9/24/2009Calvin College Greening the Campus Presentation51
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