It was a day of enthusiasm and celebration on Friday, as nearly 130 students, faculty and district officials were treated to exotic Australian entrees and beverages while they witnessed the grand opening of the S. Mark Taper Foundation Botanical Garden.
Described as “absolutely beautiful” and created through the process of hydrodemolition by Nancy Pearlman, member of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) board of trustees, the botanical garden on campus is now approximately two acres and includes 170 new plant species native to Australia, three mission-style shade structures, several new benches and a new dry creek bed. Pierce College is home to the only botanical garden in the LACCD. A lot of work had to go into this project in order for it to become what it is today. Before this though, there was a lot that needed to be done, like looking into affordable tree lopping services to help remove a number of tree stumps that were situated around the garden. For anything as elaborate as this, it makes sense to get the right people for the job to receive the best results. To finish the look, we enlisted in the help of a company like infinite paving to add sandstone paving around the garden, which the students love. It just adds something special to the whole look and ties in well with the aesthetic.
“This is a mediterranean botanical garden that will show students how drought-tolerant plants adapt to the mediterranean climates found in different countries across the world,” said James Rikel, chair of the life sciences department.
The garden was created with the intentions of providing an outdoor botanical laboratory for students as well as demonstrating how incorporating drought-resistant plants can reduce our dependency on water, according to Rikel.
“We now expect to reduce usage of water on campus by 68 percent,” said Pierce President Robert Garber. “We are all very fortunate to have this very good use of space for our students to benefit from.”
While there is plenty to learn by simply standing in the garden, it can also serve as a recreational stop for many students.
“This is a great place for students to come study and socialize,” said Tessa Moss, president of the Associated Students Organization. “It’s great to see that the benches are always full every time I come out here.”
The initial planning of the garden began in 1999 when Pat Farris, professor of life sciences, suggested to Rikel that the school would benefit from replacing pieces of “dead lawn” in the quad with a botanical garden. Rikel agreed and approached Kate Kubach, life sciences professor, who approved of the idea and also recommended that Australian plants be a part of the garden.
When Rocky Young, Pierce president at the time, heard of the idea to renovate the quad area, he not only signed off on the plan but told the group of professors to “go ahead and use the whole thing.”
Funding for the garden came primarily from donations from several sponsors, including the S. Mark Taper Foundation, and from the Proposition A/AA bonds that provided $2.2 billion to the nine colleges of the LACCD for renovation projects. The actual labor for the garden, however, came from a group of highly dedicated students and professors who often dug and planted in the middle of a sweltering mid-August heat wave.
Now, eight years and three school presidents later, what seemingly began as a modest suggestion has become a vast display of exotic biodiversity.
The garden is also significant in the global community because it is home to one of the rarest plants in the world, the Wollemi Pine.
Fewer than 100 Wollemi Pine trees exist throughout the world and Pierce is now privileged enough to have the once-extinct plant on public display in its garden. The only community college in the district with a botanical garden now has a plant that cannot be seen at any community college in the world.
The main sidewalk traversing the garden has also been transformed into a new “Evolution Walk” that shows the major time periods throughout the history of life. Every six inches of the winding pathway represents 1 million years in history, beginning with the Cambrian geological era, nearly 570 million years ago and ending with the Quaternary, almost 1.8 million years ago.
With the help of the detailed fossils and interpretive signs engraved in its cement, the walking distance along the Evolution Walk reflects the actual passage of time.
“I think the garden adds a new look to the campus,” said Charity Achra, sophomore biological sciences major. “Students can now interact with the stuff they learn in biology class.”
“The garden is really great for getting away from the formulas and tests sometimes,” said Ilona McHugh, freshman landscape architecture major, who also volunteered time to help plant and hand water many of the new plants.”I loved working in the garden and now I can’t wait to see how the new plants grow,” she said.
The first phase of the botanical garden was completed in October 2003 and the ground breaking of the second and final phase was unveiled in December 2006. The S. Mark Taper Foundation Botanical Garden is located on campus between the Mathematics and Life Sciences buildings.
Faculty, students and alumni gather dedication for the completed S. Mark Taper Foundation Life Science Botanic Garden, Friday afternoon Sept. 14, 2007. ()