The 小蝌蚪APP will populate a 10-acre tract of 小蝌蚪APP Research Park with wildflowers native to southwestern Louisiana.
The creation of an 小蝌蚪APP渦rban prairie小蝌蚪APP is part of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Sustainability Strategic Plan. It calls for a 10-percent reduction in mowing across the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 multiple campuses over the next three years.
But to make room for wildflowers, groundskeepers will maintain a 小蝌蚪APP渘o-mow zone小蝌蚪APP until at least the end of September. That will enable the turf grass that carpets the area between CGI and the National Wetlands Research Center to reach a height of between 18 inches and 2 feet before it小蝌蚪APP檚 sprayed with an environmentally safe herbicide and removed.
Uncut blades of grass soak up herbicide more quickly 小蝌蚪APP渂ecause there is more surface area for the chemical to be absorbed,小蝌蚪APP explained James Foret, an instructor in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 School of Geosciences.
Foret, geosciences professor Dr. Durga Poudel and the UL Lafayette Office of Sustainability worked with the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Experimental Farm near Cade, La., to select the proposed prairiescape小蝌蚪APP檚 new inhabitants.
Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 sustainability director, said they chose plains tickseed and clasping coneflower from the farm小蝌蚪APP檚 Wildflower Seed Bank Facility, a joint project between the 小蝌蚪APP and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. It opened earlier this year.
小蝌蚪APP淭hese wildflowers have proven to grow well along roadside areas,小蝌蚪APP Vanicor said. 小蝌蚪APP淧ollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds, also find these native plants very attractive, and they will provide more biodiversity on campus.小蝌蚪APP
A portion of the wildflower area fronts Cajundome Boulevard. Vanicor said creation of the prairiescape will not affect the oak trees and bicycle path that border the roadway.
It will, however, reduce the number of hours maintenance personnel spend cutting grass, either on tractors, on smaller riding mowers or with handheld string trimmers. The wildflower area won小蝌蚪APP檛 need mowing. That equates to fewer carbon emissions and a reduction in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 fuel costs.
小蝌蚪APP淥n a weekly basis during mowing season, our grounds crews spend 355 hours mowing and 263 hours string trimming. This includes areas on the main campus, intramural and athletic fields, and portions of research park,小蝌蚪APP Vanicor said.
In addition to the main Lafayette campus, the 小蝌蚪APP maintains facilities in Cade and New Iberia. Maintenance crews are responsible for a collective 1,300 acres. That includes buildings as well as green space.
小蝌蚪APP淩educing the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 overall environmental impact will require multiple strategies across our campuses,小蝌蚪APP Vanicor said. 小蝌蚪APP淭he 小蝌蚪APP榰rban prairie小蝌蚪APP at 小蝌蚪APP Research Park is but one initiative in our Sustainability Strategic Plan.小蝌蚪APP
Natural filtration systems, called bioswales, are another. These shallow troughs hold plants and other vegetation that act as sieves to remove silt and contaminants from rainwater before it小蝌蚪APP檚 funneled into drainage systems.
The 小蝌蚪APP installed its first bioswale last year between Burke-Hawthorne and V.L. Wharton halls. This spring, volunteers and Office of Facility Management staff created another between Olivier and Madison halls.
Establishing an area of native grasses is the latest project小蝌蚪APP檚 second phase. As with the creation of 小蝌蚪APP Research Park小蝌蚪APP檚 wildflower area, populating the bioswale with vegetation will require keeping the area unmowed until late September.
A third project, tentatively scheduled for next year, will also incorporate plants native to the Cajun prairie, including Indian grass, big bluestem and switch grass.
The grasses will come from the UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Ecology Center in Carencro. They will be planted in a four-acre section on either side of a coulee that bisects 小蝌蚪APP Common behind Blackham Coliseum.
Soil erosion along the coulee has been a perennial problem, Vanicor said.
小蝌蚪APP淭he addition of native grasses is going to stabilize the area and cut down on the amount of soil that小蝌蚪APP檚 washed into the coulee when it rains. The grasses will also retain water and help reduce the burden on the city小蝌蚪APP檚 storm drainage system.小蝌蚪APP
Photo: The turf grass that carpets a 10-acre section of 小蝌蚪APP Research Park isn小蝌蚪APP檛 being cut. It小蝌蚪APP檚 part of preliminary groundwork for a proposed 小蝌蚪APP渦rban prairie小蝌蚪APP that will carpet the area with wildflowers native to southwestern Louisiana. (Credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP)