Project Background
Since 1997, all new plants introduced to campus properties have been listed as native species that require less maintenance, are better suited to our climate, support local wildlife including pollinators, and help to reduce invasive plants. The Campus Environmental Sustainability Strategy includes goals of using sustainable landscaping maintenance standards and developing a remediation and preservation plan for targeted areas by 2025. The benefits are multiple: reduced need for pest control measures, habitat creation, increased biodiversity, improved air and water quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and more1 . Yet there are social barriers to sustainable landscaping practices because our society has expectations of well-manicured lawn and landscaping. The University would like to better understand these barriers and develop communications strategies based on best practices at other institutions.
Project Examples
- Conducting a literature review of social barriers to natural landscaping in public spaces.
- Conducting a campus survey to understand local attitudes and awareness of natural landscaping.
- Consulting with Grounds Services to understand their barriers to the greater adoption of natural landscaping.
- Studying the natural gardens around the ENV buildings which have signs and the story map of gardens created by Ecology Lab.
- Researching best practices from other major institutions to address attitudinal barriers to natural landscaping.
- Recommending a communication strategy to address social expectations for naturalization in open spaces on campus, including key messages and images for different media types.