GoGreeninspirations for a green campus

* WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A GREEN CAMPUS?
    This project, funded by Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center and a Campus Ecology grant from the National Wildlife Federation, is part of a movement to make Goshen College a "Greener Campus."  What does this mean?
    It means that as students, faculty, and staff, we recognize that Goshen College has a negative environmental impact upon our local and world-wide ecosystem.  We use chemicals to control our external environment, striving for homogenous cleanliness, thus killing off necessary bacteria in our soil, diverse native grasses and flowers, the bees and the birds, the fish in our waters.  We compromise our vision of a peaceful world for cheap, disposable plastic ware and reduced recycling.
    It means that we recognize the possibilities for reconciliation with our environment.  We push GC towards landscaping that connects with land's former ecosystem and requires fewer chemicals because we have a vision of a community that respects the holy unknown workings of nature.
 

* WHAT  ARE WE DOING?
    We are compiling a comprehensive manual of native plants and trees suited to the Northern Indiana ecosystems and the Goshen College campus, to serve as a guide to native landscaping.  This manual includes required care for the plants, costs of seed, and suitability to GC.  Access the manual according to the organizational method that best suits your needs:

        Native Plants by Common Name
        Native Plants by Scientific Name
        Native Plants by Landscape Site Conditions

    Through contacts with other colleges and universities, we also hope to gather information on native landscaping, land care without the use of herbicides and insecticides, and how to make these transitions in a financially viable manner.
 

* GOALS
     The first goal is for Goshen College to set up test plots of native plantings that are cared for using organic techniques.  From there, we would like to see Goshen College implement ecological landscaping around new buildings and structures.
 

* WHY NATIVE PLANTING?
         (taken directly from the EPA gov's website)
    Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment. Native plants, once established, save time and money by eliminating or significantlyreducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, water and lawnmaintenance equipment.
    Native plants do not require fertilizers. Vast amounts of fertilizers areapplied to lawns. Excess phosphorus and nitrogen (the main components of fertilizers) run off into lakes and rivers causing excessalgae growth. This depletes oxygen in our waters, harms aquatic life andinterferes with recreational uses.
    Native plants require fewer pesticides than lawns. Nationally, over 70 million pounds of pesticides are applied to lawns each year. Pesticides run off lawns and can contaminate rivers and lakes. People and pets in contact with chemically treated lawns can be exposed to pesticides.
     Native plants require less water than lawns. The modern lawn requiressignificant amounts of water to thrive. In urban areas, lawn irrigationuses as much as 30% of the water consumption on the East Coast andup to 60% on the West Coast. The deep root systems of many nativeMidwestern plants increase the soil's capacity to store water. Nativeplants can significantly reduce water runoff and, consequently, flooding.
    Native plants help reduce air pollution. Natural landscapes do notrequire mowing. Lawns, however, must be mowed regularly. Gaspowered garden tools emit 5% of the nation's air pollution. Forty millionlawnmowers consume 200 million gallons of gasoline per year. Onegas-powered lawnmower emits 11 times the air pollution of a new car for each hour of operation. Excessive carbon from the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. Native plants sequester, or remove,carbon from the air.
    Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife. Native plants attract a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife by providing diversehabitats and food sources. Closely mowed lawns are of little use to most wildlife.
    Native plants promote biodiversity and stewardship of our naturalheritage. In the U.S., approximately 20 million acres of lawn are cultivated, covering more land than any single crop. Native plants are a part of our natural heritage. Natural landscaping is an opportunity toreestablish diverse native plants, thereby inviting the birds andbutterflies back home.
    Native plants save money. A study by Applied Ecological Services(Brodhead, WI) of larger properties estimates that over a 20 yearperiod, the cumulative cost of maintaining a prairie or a wetland totals$3,000 per acre versus $20,000 per acre for non-native turf grasses.