Freddy Hernandez
The Botanical Garden on campus is hard to miss.
Occupying a two-acre site, its many features include a marsh pond complete with water lilies, a large collection of cacti, succulents and different kinds of wildlife, juxtaposed against modern classrooms in the same way the farm is to the urban sprawl of the San Fernando Valley .
Relatively new, the garden has grown considerably since its inception, which transformed a barren and brown grassed plot of land to a Mediterranean garden two years ago.
It’s not finished yet. The second half of the construction plan for the garden is anticipated to begin late winter or early spring of 2006 and will be a three-month process.
“Phase two started in the sense that we’re going through all the approvals and plan checks and things of this nature,” said Dr. James Rikel, chair of the life science department.
The second phase of the garden will feature an information kiosk and a stone amphitheater which Rikel described as “rocky” and “bowl-shaped.” It will also have slab boulders for students to sit on. The design for the amphitheater is based on ancient classrooms that were found in Alexandria, Egypt. The kiosk and amphitheater were originally a part of phase one but were pushed back due to budget restraints.
The garden mainly needs the approval from the Division of the State Architect (DSA) which Rikel referred to as the “primary holdup.” He said the DSA is a state agency that assumes the role of city planning and permitting for the community colleges. According to the agency’s website, it “acts as California’s policy leader for building design and construction.”
Obtaining approval has been the biggest problem, because one of the DSA’s interests is how a site is accessed by disabled individuals.
“They have wanted to see all the access plans of how a person would get from a parking lot to the garden and also from the garden to the restrooms that are compliant,” he explained.
Rikel further added that the beauty of the garden has been marred by smokers. The garden is littered with cigarette butts from “students who either smoke out in the benches or outside the classrooms” despite the fact that the garden is not a designated smoking area.
Newer and better looking “No Smoking” signs have been ordered to replace those taken down because they were not attractive. They will be bought with money acquired through donations.
New plants have also been ordered and will be purchased with the donated money.
This will give Rikel, along with professors Pat Farris and Kate Kubach, who have contributed much time and hard work into the garden, more control over which plants are bought. This is due to the fact that contractors may substitute plants of similar quality. “These plants are special,” Rikel said, “so there can’t be any substitutions.”
“I live here,” said a woman, who simply called herself “Hermila” and works in the admissions office. She said she spends her time in the garden trying to get a glimpse of the baby egret.
Erik Williams, 35, stops by once a week.
“I visit the garden every time I’m here,” he said.
Williams described the garden as “peaceful,” adding that outside the campus it’s so “busy and distracting.”
Williams graduated last year, but said he is taking an extra class for personal growth and has known Rikel for a year and a half. Williams said Rikel is a “blessing to the school.”
“Anytime you put work into something and don’t get monetary value, it’s a beautiful thing,” he added.
The garden has attracted numerous types of wildlife since its creation. Several bird feeders draw busy hummingbirds and other seed eaters. Herons and egrets have been sighted, along with hawks that fly over the garden to catch the birds attracted by the feeders. Squirrels also visit the garden.
A marsh pond is inhabited by turtles that were released by their owners.
One of the turtles named Scooter, used to belong to the Biology 3 lab class.
Farris said Scooter was released into the pond because he grew too big for his tank.
Plant life has flourished since it was first brought into the garden, growing very quickly in a short period of time.
Coastal redwood trees for example, have doubled in size, according to Rikel, and will only continue “to get bigger.”
The garden is currently maintained by Farris, Kubach and Rikel. Volunteers come and go he said.
“What we found out is that it’s better to have paid student workers,” Rikel said, “That’s why that grant from MWD is important.”
Farris said the hiring process would most likely begin towards the end of the construction.
The primary change for phase two is the tubing for the garden’s 24-zone drip system which is supposed to greatly reduce water use on campus. The tubing used in phase one occasionally releases water.
“We don’t want that,” Rikel said, “we want the water just at the plants.”
Part of the funding for phase two is coming from the construction bond the campus received in April to pay for the renovation of several buildings. Farris also said they are accepting donations from “anyone at anytime.”
Those who are interested can make checks payable to:
“Foundation for Pierce College – Botanical Garden.” The foundation’s phone number is (818) 710-4206. Rikel can be contacted at (818) 719-6465.
In terms of maintenance and signs, they will be paid for by the foundation through a $75,000 grant it received from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).
Specifically for the garden, it was awarded to the life sciences department by the MWD’s highly competitive City Makeover Program, established in 2003. In 2005 it received 75 proposals from applicants throughout the MWD’s service area. They ranged from cities and public agencies, to non-profit and community-based organizations.
A panel of judges including: water industry officials, landscape architects, horticulturists and conservation experts–evaluated the proposals against 11 criteria which were evaluated using a merit-based point system.
Rikel said the money from the grant would go to improving the garden as the years progress as well as to hire students to work in it.
So far, the garden has been favorably received by both students and faculty alike.
One can usually find other people strolling through the park, or just taking a moment’s respite.