Shenandoah University has won the Lord Fairfax Soil & Water Conservation District’s (LFSWCD) 2014 Urban Conservation Award.
According to the nomination letter by Winchester Director of the LFSWCD Jim Lawrence, Shenandoah University “has shown community leadership in implementing innovative conservation practices which serve as examples of what future regulations may require. These practices demonstrate how multiple goals, including aesthetic, environmental sustainability and public enjoyment, can be achieved through an integrated approach.”
Shenandoah was nominated for its work on several campus projects, including the use of permeable pavers in McKown Plaza; the creation of Sarah’s Glen; the establishment of rain gardens on the university’s Main Quadrangle; the removal of more than 10,000 square feet of asphalt beside Abrams Creek; and the installation of the Funkhouser-Gore green roof.
All of these projects are examples of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for protecting and improving water quality. For years, the university has committed to enhancing the natural beauty of campus and increasing the amount of green space.
The Sarah’s Glen project included stormwater management improvements, the removal of riprap to allow natural vegetation to flourish, and the addition of shrubs and no-mow zones.
Shenandoah University also completed a streambank naturalization project during the summer of 2014, which integrated native shrubs and grasses along a section of Abrams Creek, allowing the area to function as a floodplain and eliminating stormwater sheet flow to the creek.