Sustainability Topics
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Following a full day of soil science education and information exchange with consultant Eric “T” Fleisher, Swarthmore College’s Organic Lawn Care Initiative is one step closer to implementation. As I discussed in my last blog post, I am spending my summer internship helping the Grounds Department and Scott Arboretum transition the five-acre Mertz field into an organic lawn, and Monday, July 12 was a critical day in this process. T’s visit is the first pass toward a feasible and effective detailed program design.
We approached T after hearing about his work on Harvard University’s Soils Restoration Project, upon which our …
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Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
In the fall 2009, a New York Times article about an innovative organic lawn care project at Harvard University shook the assumptions of other higher education institutions regarding their own landscaping practices. A casual inquiry about Swarthmore’s lawn management by an alumnus who had read the piece sparked a flurry of discussion and activity that will culminate this fall in the implementation of the Scott Arboretum’s first organically maintained lawn.
Instead of applying standard synthetic herbicides and fertilizers to the five-acre field between Mertz dormitory and Magill Walk, gardeners will spread compost and spray compost tea. This organic matter will …
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
You may have noticed on the back of many catalogs and mailings from environmentally conscious companies, the FSC logo pictured above. The Scott Arboretum has been printing the Hybrid and many brochures and invitations with this logo since Fall 2006. The FSC logo is most recognizable on printed materials, but are you aware of what this logo represents?
The FSC or Forest Stewardship Council logo indicates the publication has been printed on paper that has been harvested, milled, and printed in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.
FSC oversees more than the production and printing of paper. …
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