Ann-Marie Burke Named Faculty Fellow in Sustainability

Ann-Marie Burke, Assistant Professor in the Biology Department, has been awarded the Faculty Fellow in Sustainability with the southeastern Massachusetts CONNECT organization. Ann-Marie is a member of the College’s Sustainability Committee and also chairs the Recycling Subcommittee. This is her fourth year as a full-time faculty member at Massasoit Community College. Prior to working at Massasoit, Ann-Marie worked in the environmental field for fourteen years. She has worked as an environmental toxicologist with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and in environmental consulting.

CONNECT is a consortium of the six public colleges in southeastern Massachusetts. This consortium has several subgroups which collaborate in specific academic and policy areas. The goals of CONNECT are to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of higher education and also to advance economic, educational and cultural life in southeastern Massachusetts. The particular focus of the Sustainability Fellowship is to advance the commitment of the six CONNECT schools in the area of sustainability. Sustainability refers to the stewardship of our natural resources. It has been defined as “the use of current resources in a way which does not compromise the ability of future generations to use those resources.” As such it encompasses a wide range of topics including water pollution, water conservation, economics, social justice, climate science, ecology, history and politics, to name a few. This fellowship will work to develop a network of academicians from many disciplines who are committed to teaching and learning in the area of sustainability. The long-term goal of the consortium is to build collaboration and eventually partnerships between the six CONNECT schools so as to develop southeastern Massachusetts into a leader in the area of sustainability education, job training, entrepreneurship and research. Please consider working with Ann-Marie on this very important effort.

Sustainable Landscaping Update

This year the Sustainable Landscaping Subcommittee is working on some exciting projects:

1. Sustainable lawn: As many people seem to love their lawns (even with our best efforts to convince them otherwise!), we have decided to install a sustainable lawn. Keeping in mind that no lawn is completely sustainable, we can do our best! We've decided to install Pearl's Premium Grass Seed in the areas adjacent to the Science and Technology Buildings facing the Quad. The seed is a mix of slow-growing native fescues, that are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions, require no fertilizing or watering once established, stay green longer during the year, and only need mowed two to three times per year. Check out these sites for more information: http://pearlspremium.com/, http://www.greenscapes.org/Page-593.html.

2. Planting trees/shrubs: We are hoping to replace some of the trees that were cut down for the security cameras or because they were dying (as many of you know, most of the trees planted on campus were planted with the plastic bags around the roots, which is why many trees on campus are dying). We will have applied for funding.

3. Farmer's market: We would love to establish a farmer's market on campus, to provide access to healthy, local food for our faculty, staff, and students. For the current year we are mostly interested in having a few farmers sell their produce, etc. after school has started in the fall. If all goes well and there is interest we hope to continue and grow in the future. We need help with this project! If anyone is interested please contact Melanie Trecek-King (mtrecek-king@massasoit.mass.edu).

4. No-mow update: We have begun to manage the meadow area for desirable native prairie species and for cover and habitat for native wildlife. Mowing in the spring generally selects against the mostly introduced cool-season plants. Therefore the area was mowed this March.

5. Spring clean-up: We will need to clean up our previously planted beds this spring, mulch with fresh leaves, and finish installing signs for each species. We now have five native beds, so there's more work involved, but Erin, the student worker, will hopefully be able to handle most of it.

6. Feral cat management: Feral and free-ranging cats in the US kill billions of songbirds and small mammals each year, and have been responsible worldwide for more extinctions of bird species than any other cause except habitat destruction. Cats can also spread deadly diseases to wildlife. Cats are natural hunters, but are introduced into ecosystems. Humans give these hunters the upper hand by feeding them and caring for them, which puts even more pressure on native predators, who often are not able to compete. For more information see http://wildlife.wisc.edu/extension/catfly3.htm. We will attempt to manage the feral cat population on campus through trapping, spaying/neutering and immunizing, and then re-releasing them back on campus. While the cats will continue to hunt, they will at least stop spreading diseases and reproducing.

Massasoit Chosen for Solar Photovoltaic Arrays

On January 15, 2010, the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the installation of 15 solar photovoltaic arrays at seven facilities in Massachusetts. Massasoit will be receiving 5 of the 15 arrays.


Those facilities receiving solar photovoltaic arrays are as follows:
UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Lowell, Massasoit C.C., North Shore C.C., Salem State, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Milton

Massasoit’s 5 arrays will be as follows:
• Student Center: 110-130 kW (roof array)
• Liberal Arts Building: 75-90 kW (roof array)
• Humanities Building: 67-82 kW (roof array)
• Technology Building: 45-55 kW (roof array)
• Science Building: 45-55 kW (roof array)

It was our hope that the Canton Campus would be included in the RFP, but due to the condition of the roofs at the Canton Campus it was excluded. In the mean time, we are working on finding funding for a new roof at Canton with the hope that the Canton Campus will be part of the next RFP for photovoltaics.

The photovoltaics project is being funded through a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs). CREBs are interest free loans that will be paid for through energy savings.

Upcoming dates of interest are as follows:

• Site Visit: January 25 – February 5, 2010
• Proposal Deadline: February 18, 2010
• Target Selection: March 15, 2010

We hope that as Massasoit moves ahead with its sustainability efforts that this will be a learning/teaching experience for everyone.