UW-Stout Grounds Department’s
overall philosophy is to
make the grounds a beautiful, educational
and healthy environment. This effort
focuses on making environmentally sound
and ethical decisions to manage the
campus grounds and includes striving
towards less petrol chemical use, removal
of DNR identified invasive plant species,
increasing the number of
native perennial flowers in the gardens,
increasing both species and population
numbers of native plants and the encouragement
of wildlife diversity (particularly
songbirds and beneficial
insects) on campus.
Environmental Goals
Less Chemical Use
- Continued testing and use of Corn Gluten meal to reduce weed production, which reduces spraying herbicides.
- Testing and use of newly developed grass varieties that will better withstand heavy traffic or dry soil. Thick healthy grass resists weed infestation.
- Increased use of mulches like shredded hardwood bark, to reduce weed germination.
- Landscape design that will help to reduce the need for unnecessary herbicide spraying (example: include parking meters within the curb or concrete area, wide well placed sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians as well as facility vehicles which reduces regular soil compaction and healthier lawns)
Increase focus on plants historically native to Dunn County
- Garden designs using beautiful and perennial native wild flowers and grasses (this practice also reduces pesticide use).
- Management techniques that encourage the regeneration of native plants (example: removal of invasive Buckthorn and Chinese Elm to allow sunlight needed for regeneration of bur and white oak or the removal of purple loosestrife to allow many other wetland species to recolonize)
- Landscape Design emphasizing the use of native plant species (including forbs, grasses, shrubs and trees), not use species listed as invasive to natural areas by the DNR (i.e. Amur Maple).
Encouragement of wildlife
Songbirds are on the decline as a whole. Increase in bird populations through feeding and nesting boxes helps increase the song bird populations and reduces the use of pesticides.
A peregrine falcon nesting box on the heating plant stack would reduce the populations of starlings and pigeons, which compete for food and cover with songbirds.
Beneficial insects reduce the use of pesticides. For example, a “Butterfly Garden” increases beneficial insect populations and diversity.
Potential for designated Campus Natural Areas and their management
Steep terraces east of athletics and the applied arts/ science and tech buildings and west of GS are excellent sites to encourage through management, existing species of plants associated with the oak savanna community indigenous to the Menomonie area prior to settlement. These areas could be over seeded with additional species (collected from this region and plant community) to enhance these areas.
With the removal of the very invasive Purple Loosestrife and Miscanthus ornamental grasses, the wetland SE of the baseball field is a unique and potentially diverse ecosystem.
Menomin lake bank area would be a long-term project with the removal of blow down trees, invasive buckthorn and female boxelder trees. This is a large undertaking that needs to be completed with many small steps and includes replanting with trees, shrubs and ground layer species native to this area.
General management will include techniques such as brush removal of undesirable or invasive species and mowing to encourage existing native species to thrive. Decisions as to species removal of all vegetation will be based in part on DNR Forestry Guidelines concerning invasive species and recommendations for their removal.
Flower gardens and campus landscape design goals
Increased use of perennial flowers
Perennial flowers live for years and increase in size giving potential plant material for future gardens. Their drawbacks are that they bloom for only a shorter period of time during the growing season rather than throughout the summer like annuals (which need to be purchased and planted each year which is costly in time and money). The seasonal bloom of perennials is overcome by the overlapping of species and the additional plant interest when not in bloom.
Garden size may slightly be increased to accommodate the additional species numbers needed to extend bloom times with maximum visual impact. Also the more dense the ground coverage, the less problem with weed infestation.
Well-designed access, parking and sidewalk corridors reduce “cow paths” across lawns and the high costs of maintenance associated with them.
Use of more locally native plants including flowers (forbs), grasses, shrubs and trees.
Native plants that evolved in this region of Wisconsin need less maintenance. Their roots extend 6’ to 12’ or more, so there is less drought stress of plantingson our dry soils. Overall, they require less fertilization, less pesticides and less time consuming weekly maintenance like deadheading. They are natural bird feeders and many are considered butterfly magnets.
When designing new landscaping, updating existing or just additional plantings native plants will always be considered first to meet the needs of the design. Secondly, invasive species (as published by the WI DNR) will be avoided and existing invasive species on campus will eventually be replaced.
Educational goals
Develop awareness to the campus landscape/environment
Present information at freshman orientation, providing information on cost associated with litter and vandalism of the grounds, and promotes Campus Greening Issues.
Develop public service opportunities on campus for students and organizations to get involved in (bird house maintenance, adopt-a-garden)
Academic involvment
Develop relationships with academic departments (e.g. biology, art, history, anthropology, interior design) getting faculty and students involved in campus grounds projects. For example; restoration projects may be funded by grounds but labor in part may be provided by students/classes/organizations. Additional ideas may include:
- Wetland replanting
- Brush removal from wetland or natural areas.
- Planting or interseeding native species in wetland, natural areas.
- Greenhouse activities such as improving seed germination.
- Collecting native seed
Greening Movement
Promote the Greening
Movement of UW-Stout’s
campus grounds when recruiting
students. Many other campuses
are heading in this direction;
examples include River Falls,
Eau Claire, Madison, Parkside
and LaCrosse in Wisconsin.
Note
- American Gardening is not just a trend but also a growing movement, a philosophy.
- Greening of America
is an ethical responsibility
to our children.
- These progressive goals set high standards, and make a statement of pride in our regions historical roots and concern for the quality of our environment.