PAST BEI PROJECTS 
Annual Oyster River Clean-up
On the third Saturday of September, OS had organized students and Durham residents to participate in the International Coastal Clean-up with a focus on the Oyster River Watershed. Participants were exposed to their local watershed and a habitat rich in biodiversity. The Oyster River watershed is the primary source of water for UNH and the Durham community and provides habitat for numerous species of plants and wildlife. To learn more, visit the websites of The Ocean Conservancy and the Blue Ocean Society.
Campus Tree Inventory
The UNH campus tree inventory was developed to help inform decisions about tree care and to provide a wealth of information on the function of the natural systems encompassing our community. While the tree data in the inventory are several years out of date, the inventory still can be used to meet many of its stated goals, which were to:
- Accurately inventory all trees to identify the mixture of species and the frequency of each tree in our community. Are some species over planted? Are some species dying out? What additional species would enhance the tree community? A diversified community of trees supports a vast array of life above and below ground. Trees provide food, cover, nesting and habitat for birds, mammals, herptiles, insects, fungi and other organisms.
- Help UNH manage its trees and urban forest areas. The information in this inventory was developed to help the UNH community make informed sustainable landscaping decisions. For example, landscape designers can use the inventory to assist them in selecting plant species that will be well suited to a particular site and appropriate to the species mix on campus. The inventory also was developed to help UNH staff identify poorly adapted species, particularly difficult or stressful sites, and those trees in need of pruning, mulching, fertilization, compaction relief, and wound repair. This information would in turn aid management, conservation, and development decisions.
- Educate the campus community about its trees and their role within biodiversity. This inventory was developed with the hope that it would help the UNH community better understand the environmental, historical, cultural, and financial value of its trees. UNH's trees are valuable parts of the campus "learningscape."
Self-guided tour of UNH campus trees
Printable map of UNH campus trees (PDF)
Sample UNH tree inventory datasheet (PDF)
Lunch in the Landscape
Join us every Wednesday from noon - 1 PM in Murkland Courtyard outside Dimond Library on the UNH Durham campus for a free informal walk thatwill provide you with an enjoyable break from your routine! Come learn more about the campus landscape and sustainability-related initiatives at UNH - and develop a stronger sense of place.
Fall 2006 Schedule (PDF)
Monitioring and Restoration of College Brook
In prior years, OS had funded the New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center at UNH to take yearly water quality data samples for analysis of the status of water quality at College Brook, a small and degraded stream that traverses Durham and the UNH campus on its way to the Oyster River and Great Bay. In addition, is working with OS to apply for funding to continue this data collection, analyze and interpret all collected data, and publish and share the findings. OS had also collaborated with the New Hampshire State Department of Environmental Services, Office of State Planning, and others to apply for funding to clean, repair, restore, enhance, and maintain College Brook.
New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center Data on College Brook water quality
UNH Biodiversity Database
Working with a wide variety of UNH faculty, staff, and students with expertise in biodiversity, native species, and forests, OS began creating a dynamic and interactive GIS database of biodiversity and other natural resource information for all UNH properties throughout the state. The goals for the database were: (1) to have the system be a spatial and quantitative resource for faculty and researchers. For example, a professor or researcher could query the system to find properties with specific characteristics for class trips, student projects, and individual research; (2) to have the system serve as a dynamic library of resource information. In this way disparate natural resource information collected by classes and researchers could be integrated, compiled, and maintained for public use, greatly improving our understanding of biodiversity on UNH lands; (3) to have the sytem provide UNH students, faculty, and outside researchers with spatial and tabular information that they could use for reports, presentations, and publications; and, (4) to have the system provide a means by which to manage and track the environmental condition and health of university property over time. Please contact us if you are a UNH faculty, staff, student, and other researcher interested in getting our preliminary data layers on CD for your own research.
More information on UNH properties is available from the UNH Office of Woodlands and Natural Areas.
