USU Grows Green

from The Utah Statesman- August 29, 2008

USU landscaping has been remodeled to take environmental sustainability into consideration by improving the irrigation systems on campus and replacing existing gardens with alternatives that conserve water, said Heidi Kratsch, assistant professor and extention ornamental horticulture specialist in the department of plants, soils, and climate.
"Right now it is trendy to go green," Kratsch, said, "but I think we on campus have a responsibility to be role models for students and the community and to set an example by creating beautiful, yet water-sustainable landscapes."
Graham Hunter, research associate for the department of plants, soils, and climate said said they are working on multiple projects.
"We have currently installed two landscapes, and have one more that is mostly completed and a fourth that is in the very early stages of development," he said.
All of these gardens have been designed by USU students enrolled in the "Low Water Landscape Design" class, Hunter said.
Natural resource students also participated in the project by creating interpretive theme panels, said Barbara Middleton, senior instructor in the College of Natural Resources.
"The Ag Sci garden is meant to show many different types of native, water-wise plants as examples to the gardener or landscaper, small or large. It is a diverse 'garden of possibilities' that showcases northern and southern Utah natives. So the theme here is helping a person think about the possible diversity from plants (color, height, shape, blooming times, etc.), to hardscaping (rocks, trails, berms, etc.) and even diversity of textures. Every garden has a topic, but most importantly an interpretive theme," Middleton said.
Roger Kjelgren, professor of horticulture, said many native plant gardens have been added to the landscape, that use less water, including one garden on the south side of the Agricultural Science building, which has only been watered once this season.
"By using native plants, we also make the student population and faculty more aware of the environment of the high desert that we live in," Kjelgren said.
Jim Huppi, USU landscape architect and landscape manager, said using a wide variety of plants is also important when planting one of these gardens.
"We don't want to use a certain plant type regularly, we want to use a variety of plant material so there is a diversity here that people can look at," he said.
Kratsch said this project is intended to show "people that they have options. The look of a water-conserving landscape can range from wild or natural, to quite traditional, depending on the plants selected, and how the garden is designed."
Huppi said the new landscapes are "also beneficial for the university, because we are getting a wider variety of plants, so the students studying plants have greater exposure to all the different kinds of plants here on campus."
Kjelgren said sustainability is an important issue in our state, especially water efficiency, because of the desert climate.
"It's the awareness of a place, that we do live in the desert," Kjelgren said. "You don't typically think that, because it is such a beautiful place to live, but as you begin to irrigate, you do realize that our water is limited."
Kjelgren said with Utah's increasing population rate and steady water consumption, sustainability is an important focus.
"There really aren't any new water supplies, so doing a better job with what we have in terms of using the water efficently for what we do have with landscapes, like alternative landscapes that don't use as much water, simply makes a better environment for everyone," he said.
It's not hard to conserve water, Kratsch said, but people need to learn about what works and what doesn't.
"Education is crucial," Kratsch said. "There is a misconception that water-efficient landscapes are either devoid of plants, or are composed mostly of sagebrush and spikey plants. Some people even think they’re conserving water by paving over their yard. Green plants are important because they cool our cities and prevent evaporation of what water we have into the atmosphere, so replacing your lawn with gravel is not being water efficient. Switching to a low water use type of turfgrass, like Tall Fescue or Buffalograss."Water conservation is important for not only present concerns, Middleton said, but should be considered when looking at the long-term environment.
"This is where we live," Middleton said. "We need to take care of our place, not just for this generation, but for many that follow."
Kratsch said students can help by being supportive of the new gardens and sustainability "by getting involved in campus efforts."
"Volunteering time to help with planting, weeding, and other maintenance issues in these gardens is also great. But most of all, learn what you can from the gardens and pass it on. We need everyone to begin to realize that we live in a seasonally dry climate, and we can’t afford to waste our precious water," she said.