© Jason Lindsey, www.perceptivevisions.com

S i e r r a   C l u b P r a i r i e  G r o u p East-Central Illinois

Ecological & Sustainable Landscaping on Campus
by Kate Higgs

The U of I campus's grid of roads and sidewalks, non-native trees, concrete parking lots, and well-trimmed hedges demonstrate the popular myth that humans are able to control nature.  Our current landscape reinforces this myth every day as students, staff, faculty, and visitors walk to the library, down Green Street, and through the various quads.  The campus has seen several "rebirths" of uniform vegetation as disease, harsh winters, or the biology of a widely planted tree causes wide-spread death of a species.  Instead of a natural death and regrowth process that can occur in a relatively biodiverse area, we witness an almost continuous human-dependent process of planting, death, replanting, death.  As one species dies, another is planted in its stead without any more forethought than the last--without considering the plant's ecological needs, without considering soil types, without considering biodiversity.

Why not reinforce in students the belief that humans can live with other organisms in a sustainable way? An increase in the species diversity, age diversity, and the use of native plants will allow natural processes to work with our plan (or allow us to work with nature's plan)  instead of against it.  Why not reduce the cost of landscaping (labor, pesticides, herbicides, trees, and annual plants) and demonstrate to students a respect of nature by landscaping with nature's laws in mind?

Currently, a group of University professors organized by Bruce Hannon and Clark Bullard, is asking these questions and trying to foster biodiversity and sustainability on campus.  As the Boneyard is being reconstructed through the engineering campus, their input will allow for a more natural looking area with the possibility of trees and wildflowers near the artificial banks.  They are looking for ways to educate students through the design and through the design process.  Sights are also on the Research Park being built south of campus.

As campus expands, as landscapes are changed, we--campus and community members-- need to voice our opinions on how we believe campus should be landscaped.

Jack Dempsey, head of Operations and Maintenance, is interested in creating a more sustainable landscaping method at the University.  He will be speaking at the Prairie Group General Meeting, September 12th, 7:30 PM at the Illinois Disciples Foundation.

For more information on ecological landscaping on campuses, download "in loco naturae" (in care of nature) by Bruce Hannon at www.staff.uiuc.edu/~j-domier/people/loco.pdf

If you are interested in helping with the Prairie Group's efforts, contact Jeannine Wisieswski at jwisnsk@uiuc.edu.

Illinois Chapter
National Sierra Club

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