One of the strategies for changing the accepted landscape paradigm from large expanses of mown turf to ecosystem-based planned landscapes is to get new models into the landscape for people to observe and become familiar with. Here are some examples of sustainable landscapes on the UD campus and at other sites in Delaware:
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Independence Hall – meadow, reforestation site
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- Reforestation slope with identification sign.
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- Rain gardens with meadow in between stabilizing slope and reducing the area that must be mowed.
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- Rain garden on slope to intercept water before it reaches a low area.
Visitor Center – wildlife habitat, no need for mulch
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- Sign explaining sustainable aspects of Visitor Center landscape.
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- Visitor center landscape with a wide variety of trees, shrubs and perennials.
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- Dense planting supports many birds and insects that are attracted to native plants.
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- Plantings were designed to fill in and do not need yearly remulching.
Center for Fine Arts – rain garden
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- Rain garden at CFA adjacent to parking garage.
New Castle County Extension Office– rain garden, bioswale
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- Planted bioswale at New Castle County Extension office catches rainwater from parking lot and improves infiltration.
Dow Chemical – rain garden
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- Planted bioswale across front of Dow Chemical site reduces standing water and provides attractive plantings for front of building
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- Plantings filled in and started taking up water the first season after planting.
Applecross – meadow, reforestation site
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- Reforested corner of property
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- Meadow corner of property
Astra Zeneca – meadow, reduced mow areas
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- Planted plug meadow.
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- Unmowed lawn becomes an attractive meadow with a cleanly mown path.
Ashland – reforestation (invasive plant removal)
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- Employee effort to clean out (remove invasive species) and replant forest area to attract wildlife and provide employee gathering spaces.
STAR (UD Science and Technology Campus)– research on revegetation
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- Collecting data on a research project at the STAR site to learn about strategies for re-vegetating a former industrial site.
Local landscapes
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- Residential landscape in Delaware with meadow as a front lawn rather than mown turf.
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- Naturalistic plantings on residential slope adjacent to road.