Below are excerpts from Sustainable Hampshire’s October newsletter. View the full newsletter on the Sustainable Hampshire website.
Spotlight on: Soil Carbon Research in Hampshire’s Athletic Fields
James Sanner, the Assistant Director of Grounds and Land Management at Hampshire College, has been working on a project studying carbon sequestration in Hampshire’s athletic fields. Sanner applied for and received a grant through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEEA) Healthy Soil Action Plan, and is now working in collaboration with Professors Jenny VanWyk and Juliet Johnston, as well as several student workers who have been processing soil samples.
The team began by taking baseline carbon measurements from the soil. The samples are then weighed, labeled, and then put in a furnace; carbon loss is identified through the difference between the weight before and after being burned. Sanner is now applying a variety of different treatments including a regular grass blend, a diversity mixture, aerifying, fertilization, compost, biochar and charged biochar, to assess the impact on the athletic field. The team will continue with another round of sampling in 12 months. Sanner also hopes to follow up this project with a look at carbon sequestration and biodiversity in wildflower meadows like the one in front of the Kern Center.
New Resource: Campus Food Map
Sustainable Hampshire interns have created a new Campus Food Map, showing where you can find free, paid, and foraged food resources on campus. Find it on the Sustainable Hampshire website! From apple trees to CSA shares, this map will help you get to know the wide range of food sources available on campus. If you have a resource you’d like to share, contact [email protected].
New Leaf Invasives Mapping Project
New Leaf, an environmental student group on campus, is working on an invasive species mapping project. Focusing on three species—bittersweet, knotweed, and tree of heaven—New Leaf is collecting data from the Hampshire community about where these plants are found on campus. The group will then collaborate with Facilities & Grounds to remove them. If you’re interested in getting involved, email Isaac Russel at [email protected].
Ecosystems have evolved over millennia to form an interwoven community of plants, animals, and fungi. Invasive species disrupt this balance, competing for space, sunlight, and other resources, and resulting in decreased biodiversity (U.S. Forest Service). Mapping them is an important first step towards removal, which will allow the ecosystem to begin healing from their impacts. It’s important to never try removing an invasive species yourself; when done improperly it can lead to the plant spreading further.
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Have thoughts or ideas on what you would like to see or learn about from us? Working on an environment-related project that you’d like to share with people? Tell us about it by emailing Ash Richardson-White at [email protected] or Emily Anderson at [email protected].
