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Greening the Landscape of Aiken. Mentor: David Raphael Molly Bruno, Raina Brot -Goldberg, Donald Keith, Daniel Hammerberg . Goals of the Project. Establish testing locations Determine type of experiment Propose ideas to UVM grounds committee
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Greening the Landscape of Aiken Mentor: David Raphael Molly Bruno, RainaBrot-Goldberg, Donald Keith, Daniel Hammerberg
Goals of the Project • Establish testing locations • Determine type of experiment • Propose ideas to UVM grounds committee • Begin planting in forestry greenhouse • Install plots outside Aiken Center
Plot Notes • Goal was to create something that can be easily installed and tested. • Create 10 boxes: 6’ x 9’’ x 6’’ • Decided to locate plots equally spaced around the building in order to test different sunlight patterns and sub-climate zones. • Filled boxes with compost potting mix and planted with two native species of grasses.
Rain Garden Notes • Designed to capture water runoff as it continued down the hill towards drain. • Clean water before it enters the drain and heads towards the lake. • Will encourage pedestrians to stay on the path instead of walking through the grass and creating cow paths • Consist of Vermont Native grasses, flowers, and sedges. • ***Due to time and financial restraints, the garden has been put on hold.*** • Plan on proposing to complete next year
Plot Testing • How the compost affects temperature change of plots • How the different sunlight regimes affects growth • Testing variations in pH • Testing the impact that different wind patterns surrounding the building have on the overall growth of the plants.
Compost • We are using a mix of soil and compost from the Gardener's Supply store located on 128 Intervale Rd, Burlington, VT 05401.
The construction of the plant boxes White Cedar Wood
Species Planted in Plots Eastern Star Sedge Grass Pennsylvania Sedge Grass
Maintenance • Require bi-weekly watering starting May 1, 2013 • Needed to be tested every two weeks starting May 1, 2013 • Tests will include: • Height of plants (growth) • Temperature of soil medium, and outside temperature • pH of soil • Overall all appearance of plants in terms of their health and structure
Current Status • Picked up soil from Garden Supply on Interval road last Friday morning. • The plant boxes are planted and located in the Forestry Greenhouse. • The next step is to plant the boxes around the Aiken center and maintain.
Future Goals • Looking to see plots become part of the landscape • Want to provide future testing sites • Determine the overall growth success of the two different types of plants. • Provide a learning space for students • Create a lasting impact on the Aiken Center using data from our experiment and determiningwhich plants will perform best around the Aiken center.