Grounds

The Grounds Department has been a campus leader in green initiatives. Thanks to the Grounds staff's efforts, Albion College recently received state recognition for its water and soil conservation programs. 

Lawn and Landscape

• Installation of high-efficiency lawn sprinkler system. The sprinkler system uses Weather TRAK to collect ET data and predicts moisture loss in the air. This means grass is only watered when needed.

• Use of NatureSafe, a natural and organic fertilizer

• 99% of leaves are mulched into the grass around campus. This saves ½ pound of nitrogen a year. Went from throwing away 700 cubic yards of leaves to only 7 cubic yards

• Use of only biodegradable oil for landscape equipment, lawn mowers, etc. Terresolve

• Raising landscape plants. Landscape flowers on the south side of Bobbitt Visual Arts Center were all grown in our greenhouse from seeds.

• Facilities changes the way it deals with snow and ice on sidewalks
  

Roads and Sidewalks

• Ice and snow removal all done in-house, no contracted work. Calcim Chloride solution is sprayed on sidewalks for effective de-icing and anti-icing results. Bought from Michigan Chloride Sales

• Creation of a natural dry well in the Octagon House parking lot.  This lot is tipped to allow runoff to water the forest behind the Octagon House.
  

• Use of the world's first Voc-free, EPA recognized field marking paint, Pioneer Athletics, for athletic fields.
• Rain garden collects surface water from outdoor tennis courts. New in Fall of 2009