Sustainable SSU - Landscaping and Water

Landscaping and Water

Sustainable Landscapes

The Sonoma State University Facilities Management has established a Landscape Standard to reinforce the identity of the university and achieve strategic goals. Some of these standards were developed to promote sustainability.
The guiding principle of sustainable landscaping is to embody, as much as possible, the way natural systems operate by following these fundamental concepts:

Natural systems are inherently beautiful.
Nothing goes to waste.
Inputs achieve long term sustainability.
Diversity creates more stable systems.

A whole systems approach to landscaping includes applying the idea of sustainability throughout the design, construction and maintenance phases of landscaping. Landscape professionals at Sonoma State University can create and maintain healthy, functional, beautiful and sustainable landscapes following the campus landscape standard.
To reference additional information, StopWaste.org has developed guidelines for sustainable practices for landscape professionals.

Apply design principles which enhance human interaction, including interaction between humans and interaction between humans and natural systems. Areas on campus are designed for a variety of such experiences, including private spaces for quiet personal retreat as well as large open spaces where hundreds of people can gather for conferences and events.
Landscape in harmony with the natural conditions of our region and watershed. Plant selections can be chosen to match the native vegetation of our region and well as to perform in our Mediterranean climate.
Reduce waste and promote recycling of materials. Leaves, woodchips and grass clippings generated from campus vegetation are often allowed to remain in the landscape as mulch and organic matter. Plants of appropriate size can be chosen to grow to their natural size in the space allotted them.
Nurture the soil. Healthy soils are the basis of healthy landscapes. Reducing compaction, promoting soil microbes, increasing the organic matter in the soil, and aerating are some methods that can be used to promote healthy soils.
Conserve water. The campus uses reclaimed water in most landscapes. Irrigation systems can be adjusted for the efficient use of this resource so that runoff is avoided.
Conserve energy. Trees planted around buildings can moderate temperatures. Choice of landscape equipment can be made for fuel conservation. Use of local products should be encouraged.
Protect water and air quality. Holding ponds at Beaujolais Village and North Parking capture water to promote filtration and infiltration of water, especially during storm events. Large areas of plantings promote air quality on campus.
Use Integrated Pest Management practices. Using the least amount of the lowest toxic pesticide creates healthier environments for plants, people and other animal species by using an ecosystem-based strategy.
Create and protect wildlife habitat. The Sonoma State community values wildlife on campus. Conserving and restoring wildlife corridors along Copeland Creek, and creating diverse and wildlife friendly landscapes around campus can help to create healthy ecosystems.

woodchips In the future, the landscape professionals at Sonoma State University can move further towards achieving sustainability by following a more defined course of action. Making sustainability a valued and integral part of management directives can become a priority, followed up by training and assessment of progress.

Goals for the future include:

Ensure landscape design firms understand the campus landscape standards and guidelines for sustainable landscapes.
Learn new techniques from other agencies that have been successfully practicing sustainability.
Assess purchasing, energy, soil, and water costs to find ways to reduce usage and promote green buying.
Increase irrigation efficiency by updating systems and performing water audits.
Promote plantings of native and drought tolerant plants.
Plant more trees.
Promote more onsite composting.

Sonoma State University’s varied landscapes are unique and beautiful resources. They provide living laboratories for educational pursuits. Like other natural systems, they are comprised of living things functioning together as a whole. This environment can be conserved and restored based on our practices.

Sonoma State University is viewed as a leader in promoting sustainable landscaping.

Water - Reducing and Reusing

Sonoma State is committed to curtailing its use of one of our most valuable resources – water. To accomplish this goal we are reducing our use of potable water and increasing our use of recycled water wherever we can. All landscaping and fire suppression systems are using recycled water from the City of Santa Rosa.

As new buildings - like Darwin Hall and the Student Recreation Center - have been brought online, they were dual-plumbed so that toilets and urinals can be used with reclaimed water. The campus usage per year amounts to 6,698,990 gallons or about 23% of total water usage.

Efforts are being made to consistently reduce the amount of potable water that is used from the many wells on campus. In addition to increasing the use of recycled water, the introduction of water conserving devises including bathroom fixtures and shower heads has resulted in a 49% reduction in domestic well water usage.