Native Grass and Wildflower Reinstallation on UMSL's campus!
Native Grass and Wildflower Reinstallation on UMSL's campus!
The Issue
A couple of years ago, the UMSL biology department faculty, graduates, and undergraduates obtained permission to plant native grasses and wildflowers directly outside of Stadler Hall. The head grounds keeper on faculty at UMSL saw this as a worth-while cause and planted some native plants around Bugg Pond. The purpose of these grasses and wildflowers was to bring native pollinators and other native wildlife to campus to promote ecological diversity.
After planting and growing all of the native grasses and wildflowers, over the summer of 2021 the area mowed down and replaced with turf. This was done without any discussion between those who originally obtained the permission to plant the grasses and those who decided to replace it with turf.
As a university with a strong presence in the scientific world, we believe that it is important to promote ecological diversity and conservation efforts for the biologically important pollinators in our area. It has been proven over numerous studies that by having native grasses and flowers planted in an area you can increase the native wildlife population and provide them with beneficial sources of nutrients that can in turn help the overall ecosystem (1). In the scientific community it is widely acknowledged that climate change has become an eminent product of our overuse of fossil fuels and resistance to change these sources of energy to more economically sustainable ones (2). However, as small a part as it may seem, planting native plants is one our best bets at returning the earths landscape to a more sustainable one.
There are other reasons that native grasses and wildflowers can be beneficial to the university itself as there is less work required in maintaining a native landscape. Sod on the other hand requires frequent mowing and often other forms of maintenance.
We are asking that the university consider reversing their decision to plant turf and replace it once more with native flowers and grasses to promote a better ecological environment for our pollinators and other wild life.
References:
(1) https://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter
The Issue
A couple of years ago, the UMSL biology department faculty, graduates, and undergraduates obtained permission to plant native grasses and wildflowers directly outside of Stadler Hall. The head grounds keeper on faculty at UMSL saw this as a worth-while cause and planted some native plants around Bugg Pond. The purpose of these grasses and wildflowers was to bring native pollinators and other native wildlife to campus to promote ecological diversity.
After planting and growing all of the native grasses and wildflowers, over the summer of 2021 the area mowed down and replaced with turf. This was done without any discussion between those who originally obtained the permission to plant the grasses and those who decided to replace it with turf.
As a university with a strong presence in the scientific world, we believe that it is important to promote ecological diversity and conservation efforts for the biologically important pollinators in our area. It has been proven over numerous studies that by having native grasses and flowers planted in an area you can increase the native wildlife population and provide them with beneficial sources of nutrients that can in turn help the overall ecosystem (1). In the scientific community it is widely acknowledged that climate change has become an eminent product of our overuse of fossil fuels and resistance to change these sources of energy to more economically sustainable ones (2). However, as small a part as it may seem, planting native plants is one our best bets at returning the earths landscape to a more sustainable one.
There are other reasons that native grasses and wildflowers can be beneficial to the university itself as there is less work required in maintaining a native landscape. Sod on the other hand requires frequent mowing and often other forms of maintenance.
We are asking that the university consider reversing their decision to plant turf and replace it once more with native flowers and grasses to promote a better ecological environment for our pollinators and other wild life.
References:
(1) https://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter
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Petition created on September 21, 2021