On Saturday, October 8, student volunteers joined Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) staff to clean and maintain the Jennings Hall rain gardens. Volunteers, including the Texnikoi Engineering Honorary and the Ecological Engineering Society, weeded, trimmed perennials and mulched 22 garden boxes during the annual fall event, which has taken place since 2013.
Tagged: Goals - Increase Ecosystem Services
In the News: Ohio State Hosts Webinar on Creating Extensive Greenspace System
As part of Ohio State’s Earth Day 2021 activities, the Sustainability Institute recently hosted a virtual presentation to discuss the Rapid 5 project, a partnership among the Columbus District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Columbus), Metro Parks, MORPC, Franklin County and others. Erin Prosser, Ohio State’s director of community development for Planning, Architecture and Real Estate (PARE), and Alicia Gaston, ULI Columbus senior director, presented the latest details and the comprehensive vision behind the project.
In the News: Aparna Dial on Protecting People and the Environment
Aparna Dial approaches sustainability with a view through three lenses: She immigrated to the United States from India. She’s a woman in a male-dominated field. And she’s been an eyewitness to the ways environmental impacts do not affect everyone equally.
That perspective leads her to propel discussion and action when it comes to issues such as the inequities of environmental impacts and the barriers faced by women in STEM.
Keep Campus and Waterways Clean - Dispose of Masks Properly
As Buckeyes, we all can do our part to keep campus clean. Please dispose of single-use masks in the trash, not on the ground. While disposable masks protect us from disease, they also can harm the environment when not properly discarded. You can help by properly disposing of your soiled, torn or saturated masks. Litter and other pollutants can end up in stormwater drains and later discharged into our waterways, having harmful effects on water quality and wildlife.
In the News: Rapid 5 Plans to Expand Franklin County Waterways and Trails
Keith Myers, Vice President for Ohio State's Planning, Architecture and Real Estate, and Chair of the nonprofit Urban Land Institute Columbus, will present the latest details on a comprehensive vision for Central Ohio that would create an extensive greenspace system unparalleled in the nation on Friday, April 16, at 1 p.m.
Celebrate Earth Day All Spring
Ohio State is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day all spring! Visit the Sustainability Institute's website for a listing of events and activities that celebrate sustainability.
Celebrate Earth Day with the Medical Center Green Team
This is the third year the Medical Center Green Team is organizing special opportunities to celebrate while also complying with the rules and regulations due to COVID-19.
In the News: Medical Center Earns Tree Campus Healthcare Recognition
On Arbor Day (April 24, 2020), Ohio recognized The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as one of only two of the nation’s first Tree Campus Healthcare Institutions. The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Healthcare program highlights health institutions that make a mission-aligned impact on community wellness through tree education, investment, and community engagement. This program connects inpatient healthcare facilities of all sizes with local community forestry programs to improve human health outcomes, while improving the extent and condition of the community forest.
New Sustainable Design and Construction Policy
The Ohio State University adopted a new Sustainable Design and Construction policy (formerly Green Build and Energy policy), effective February 1, 2021.
Coffee Ground, Literally
It’s one of the most iconic and majestic places on Ohio State’s campus. Whether it’s studying, taking pictures or exercising, students, faculty, staff and visitors flock to Mirror Lake, but the lake is more than just a place for Buckeyes to gather. It’s playing a key role in advancing the university’s sustainability efforts.
In addition to adding 250-300 new plants around Mirror Lake in autumn 2020, Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) Landscape Services is using coffee grounds instead of artificial fertilizer in plant beds surrounding the lake.
Cannon Drive’s Budding Beauty
In September 2017, Cannon Drive began to blossom into the version of what we see today. The project, designed to straighten and elevate the roadway, created a certified flood levy, opened 12 acres of developable land and created new green space along the Olentangy River.
Last month, the green space got a facelift thanks to 25 newly planted trees in conjunction with Earth Day and the university’s Sesquicentennial.