Sustainability

Land Use

The Wesleyan College Arboretum

The Wesleyan College Arboretum comprises 104 acres of mixed hardwood and pine forest, as well as the 5 acre Foster Lake. The College has designated this ecologically diverse area for four primary purposes: conservation, education, research, and recreation. More than two miles of vehicle-free trails are maintained for walking and jogging. The central Dice R. Anderson Cabin and Ellen Ann Edenfield pavilion are available for reservation by members of the Wesleyan community. The Abrboretum Committee hosts several conservation and trail workdays each year, as well as the annual PioneerFest celebration.

The Wesleyan Arboretum is registered with ArbNet, the Morton Arboretum national registry of arboreta, and is currently seeking Level I accreditation by that association.

Campus Carbon Sequestration Audit

Wesleyan College was awarded an Urban and Community Forestry Grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission in 2009 to estimate the value of ecosystem services provided by our campus forest canopy. The project involved identifying trees and measuring their diameters and heights in plots located randomly across campus.

The College now has a wealth of quantitative data on the diversity, structure, health, and carbon storage capacity of the campus tree canopy. The educational purpose of the grant was also fulfilled by involving Wesleyan students and faculty in the project; by educating Bibb County public school science teachers about the importance of forests and training them in the quantification of forest vegetation in an exercise on the Wesleyan campus; and by hosting a campus “Tree Hug and Measure” event for the wider Macon community.

Ecosystem services provided by the tree canopy on the Wesleyan College campus have been quantified, most importantly for carbon storage (i.e., the pool size of C) and rates of carbon sequestration (i.e., the annual flux). The total carbon storage on the 83 hectare (206 acre) Wesleyan College campus is estimated to be 7,927 metric tons, with an average of about 95 metric tons of carbon stored per hectare. The net carbon sequestration, meaning the annual increment of C storage, is about 154 metric tons/year, which translates to about 1.85 metric tons of additional carbon stored per hectare per year. The upshot of all those numbers? The Wesleyan College forest canopy stores a significant amount of carbon, plus it removes a substantial amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. These figures will be important in determining whether the College has met its stated goal of attaining carbon neutrality as part of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

An additional project, conducted by students in Principles of Environmental Science (ESC 150), involves tracking carbon storage in permanent plots established in the Wesleyan College Arboretum. Students have estimated that the Arboretum stores about 437 metric tons of C per hectare; naturally, this number is significantly larger than the estimates derived from the Urban and Community Forestry Grant because the Arboretum is so heavily wooded, but the estimate also includes carbon stored in the soil. By comparison, studies in Tennessee and Michigan have estimated forest carbon storage (including soils) of 151 and 180 metric tons of C per hectare, respectively. The Wesleyan College Arboretum is not only an important storehouse for carbon, but it is also a tremendous educational resource for teaching about ecology and the carbon cycle.

Foster Lake Fishing Policy

Fishing in Wesleyan’s Foster Lake is permitted only to Wesleyan students and employees and their families and friends. While fishing, students and employees should be prepared to present their Wesleyan College ID card. Family members and friends of students and employees may fish only when accompanied by their Wesleyan student or employee who is in possession of a valid Wesleyan ID.

  • Anyone fishing without being able to confirm their identity to Campus Police will not be allowed to fish.
  • Anyone disrespecting the lake’s environment by leaving trash or disturbing plants and wildlife will not be allowed to fish.
  • Anyone fishing for fish while they are nesting will not be allowed to fish.

Questions regarding fishing in Foster Lake should be directed to Campus Police at (478) 757-5145.

 

Conservation On Campus

LEED Construction

When President Knox signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, Wesleyan College agreed to establish a policy that all new campus construction would be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard or equivalent. The College has adopted such a policy and has two examples of its implementation. The first is Taylor Hall, constructed in 1928 as one of the original academic buildings on the current campus. Following a multimillion-dollar-renovation in 2009-2010, the building reopened in January of 2011 as home to Wesleyan’s business, education, and psychology programs and the Peyton Anderson Amphitheatre. Taylor Hall is now a LEED-certified green building (achieving the Gold standard) and is, according to the U.S. Green Building Council project directory, the first LEED-certified project in Macon, Georgia.

In addition, construction of a new building, Pierce Chapel, is currently underway on the Wesleyan campus. Pierce Chapel has been designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.

HVAC Upgrades

Beginning in 2008, we have implemented a Bundled Energy Solutions (BES) Program. This involved replacing many older, inefficient HVAC units with new energy efficient units, installing new high efficient lighting in all of the buildings, and installing state of the art digital controls in many of the campus buildings.

Light Bulb and Faucet Audit and Replacement

In 2012 we conducted a complete audit of all of our faucets to identify opportunities for water reduction and savings. As a result, we replaced 786 aerators in our sink faucets from 1.6 gallon/min flow rate to 0.5 gallon/min flow rate. We also replaced all showers heads (25 total) within Porter Gym & Banks Residence Hall to high efficiency 1.5 gallon/min shower heads.

In 2012, the student led Environmental Concern Committee conducted a lightbulb audit of the Dining Hall and the Manget Dining Room. As a result all chandelier light bulbs were replaced with energy efficient LED bulbs.
 

Campus Policies

Responsible Purchasing Policy

In order to reduce unnecessary use of energy Wesleyan has adopted a campus-wide policy for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and environmentally-friendly products. 

Building Thermostat Policy

The temperature set-points for all occupied spaces shall be:

  • Residence halls, classrooms, and common spaces:
    Cool Mode 75F
    Heat Mode 70F

Wesleyan's Tree Replacement Policy

In 2011, Wesleyan College created a master plan to address the care and maintenance of its distinctive tree canopy. Recognizing that some loss would be inevitable because of age or weather, the College also adopted a policy that requires the planting of three new trees for every two that are lost. At the same time, we commissioned a full inventory of all trees located on the developed part of the campus (excluding the Arboretum) measuring at least four inches in diameter, which also included an analysis of their condition. The inventory, completed in August of 2011, showed a total of 422 trees valued at $3,266,043, with the vast majority in good condition. The variety included 4% maple, 5% pecan, 5% cherry, 10% magnolia, 10% sweetgum, 20% pine, and 35% oak.

Since implementation of this plan, all campus trees have been tagged, fertilized, mulched, and monitored, and a schedule for regular inspection is in place. While the College has lost a total of 34 trees (6 in FY11, 10 in FY12, and 18 in FY13), primarily as a result of storms, 63 new trees have been planted as of December, 2013 (26 in FY12, 32 in FY13, and 5 so far in FY14). These include willow oaks, Yoshino cherry trees, overcup oaks, pines, dogwoods, and maples spaced throughout the campus. With almost a 2:1 ratio of new trees to lost ones, we are meeting our policy guidelines and ensuring that Wesleyan’s trees will continue to be one of the College’s treasured assets.
 

Community & Wesleyan

Wesleyan Market
On the second Saturday of every month Wesleyan College hosts the open-air the Wesleyan Market. On a typical Saturday 40-50 booths feature organically-grown produce, local crafts, and both College and community services. Visit our Facebook page for an extensive photo gallery recent Markets.
 

Committees at Wesleyan

Wesleyan College Sustainability Committee

Wesleyan College established the Sustainability Committee, consisting of faculty, staff and students to engage the campus community in efforts to neutralize our greenhouse gas emissions, implement the strategic plan for sustainability, increase recycling efforts, implement our climate action plan, establish policies and educate our campus community. Through the efforts of the committee we have experienced an increase in awareness and reduction of waste, improvement in environmental conditions through climate policies and LEED certified buildings, and a better understanding of how our actions contribute to the environment and earth’s climate.

Calendar of Events

Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

Event listing

Visit our Campus

Tour our beautiful 200-acre campus featuring Georgian architecture, lush green spaces, recreational facilities, residence halls, and worship center.

Vist Wesleyan Virtually

NCAA Division III Athletics

Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.

View More

Join our email list