The National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Environment Report Card recently revealed that although the University is not ranked as one of the top environmentally friendly schools nationally, it leads the commonwealth in its effort to support environmental sustainability.
According to Mary Burnette, NWF associate director of communications, the report card was the final result of the NWF’s sustainability and environmental performance survey, which measured participating schools’ progress in terms of environmental operations, such as energy and water conservation, as well as institutions’ efforts to educate students about environmental issues.
The goal of the survey was to “asses to see what progress has been made and review areas that need the most improvement” since the NWF last completed this report in 2001, Burnette said.
While none of the 1,068 participating colleges and universities were graded individually, institutions were noted for having exemplary programs in certain areas.
The University was given exemplary status in four of the survey’s 18 different categories, Burnette said, adding that the University had more exemplary categories then any other Virginia school. According to the report, the University received high marks for environmental goal setting, supporting and evaluating faculty, plans to do more with transportation programs and plans to do more with green landscaping.
Julia Monteith, senior land use planner for the Office of the Architect, is very familiar with the type of survey the NWF utilized.
“Our office has been involved with various different surveys that deal with sustainability,” she said, adding that most surveys tend have an angle that they pursue, so it is hard to compare results.
According to Monteith, the University has multiple ways of looking out for the environment. One such way is through the University’s commitment to following the requirements of the Leadership in Energy Environmental Design building certification, as set by the U.S. Green Building Council, for buildings constructed on Grounds. Builders must document how the building is planned, designed and constructed, Moneith said.
The University also looks for ways to conserve both energy and water, Monteith said. She noted that dining halls around Grounds are currently planning to begin composting and using locally grown food, as well as looking into alternative options other than using trays.
As the University looks for new ways to “go green,” the NWF will also be using the survey’s results to put its Campus Ecology program to better use, working with institutions to help implement these environmental practices.
“Part of [the] NWF Campus Ecology program is to work with schools to help implement these green practices,” Burnette said. “We see which schools and which areas are needing more support.”
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