AR-2022-08-02: Pollinator/Biodiverse/Functional Landscaping

West Virginia University
The Student Assembly - Student Government Association
Assembly Resolution: AR-2022-08-02

AN ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT POLLINATOR AND BIODIVERSITY ENHANCING LANDSCAPING ON CAMPUS

Whereas, the West Virginia University Student Government Association mission statement reads, “We, the students of West Virginia University, desire to preserve within our University an atmosphere of open exchange of ideas with discussion”; and,

Whereas, current university-wide landscaping practices favor conformity rather than biodiversity, containing species considered invasive, and lack the wide scale use of native plant species within campus plantings, which are needed to provide sufficient habitat for our native species; and,

Whereas, invasive species such as Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) pose a threat not only to local and regional environments, but also pose a health risk to students by providing an ideal habitat for deer tick populations to shelter from changing environmental conditions. These plants are not favored by campus maintenance with the Campus Roads and Grounds Director James Mirage saying “we don't like taking care of the invasive plants on campus…they have sharp spines that make it difficult to maintain,” in reference to barberry specifically; and,

Whereas, many insect species are highly specific when it comes to the plants they need in order breed; requiring native “host plants” in order for them to develop and survive, which range from herbaceous plants to large trees; and,

Whereas, changing traditional landscaping to native plants will require less maintenance, fertilizer, and general care, where “the combined costs of installation and maintenance for natural landscapes over a ten year period may be one fifth of the costs for conventional landscape maintenance” (EPA)¹, saving the university money; and,

Whereas, the incorporation of native plant species on areas that are more difficult to maintain for grounds personnel will significantly reduce the work needed to maintain these areas, increase erosion control on steep slopes, and help to cut the university’s costs when it comes to the time and materials needed to maintain these spaces, with James Mirage saying, “they have considered putting in pollinator gardens in these hard to reach spaces” for these exact reasons; and,

Whereas, there are many certification programs such as Monarch Watch, Bee Campus USA, Certified Wildlife Habitat Program, Certified NABA Butterfly Garden Program, and the Campus Pollinator Pledge that this university could qualify for it if there was a change to the plants used in existing and new landscaping projects going forward; and,

Whereas, many colleges and universities across the country and locally have started the process of changing their current landscaping to plants that are native to their regions. These colleges and universities include Marshall University, Goshen College, University of Southern California, University of Texas, Grinnell College, Cornell University, University of Delaware, Clemson University, Virginia Tech, University of Pittsburgh, Chatham University, Junita College, University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and many others ; and,

Whereas, if we change and certify our landscapes, West Virginia University will be the f irst college in the state of West Virginia to do so, showing that as Mountaineers we always “go first”.

Therefore, be it resolved by the Student Assembly of West Virginia University:

Section 1: The Department of Roads and Grounds and The Department of Facilities Maintenance and Planning should consider removing invasive species from the university’s landscapes, replacing them with plants that are native to this region and helpful for local biodiversity to thrive.

Section 2: The Department of Roads and Grounds and The Department of Facilities Maintenance and Planning should consider adopting a policy which requires that native species are preferred over the use of non-native plants when designing and constructing new landscaping projects on campus, preferably host plants for different lepidoptera species2.

Section 3: The Department of Roads and Grounds and The Department of Facilities Maintenance and Planning should consider, when practical, consulting with multiple departments such as entomology, horticulture, biology, etc. when considering new landscaping projects so that campus landscaping can become a functional outdoor classroom that benefits student’s learning experience.

Section 4: The Department of Roads and Grounds and The Department of Facilities Maintenance and Planning should consider, when practical, collaborating with relevant student organizations when planning new landscaping projects on campus so that the campus landscapes have direct input from students.

Section 5: Upon passage and approval, this legislation shall be forwarded to the following:

¹https://archive.epa.gov/greenacres/web/html/chap2.html

²https://wvdnr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WYbutter.pdf

Mandates

• James Mirage, Director for Roads and Grounds
• Traci Knabenshue, Director, The Office of Sustainability
• James Kosik, Associate VP, Facilities Management
• Rob Alsop, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
• Ted Svehlik, Associate Vice President, Auxiliary and Business Services
• Sven Verlinden, Director, Plant and Soil Sciences
• G. Corey Farris, Dean of Students
• Sabrina Cave, Executive Director, Student Enrichment
• Dr. Thanh Le, Director, Student Engagement and Leadership (Advisor)
• Chloe Hernandez, Student Body President
• Morgan Donate, Executive Secretary
• Daily Athenaeum