The School of Environmental Planning at UNBC is partnering with the City of Prince George and REAPS to create nearly $2 million dollars worth of sustainable landscaping around the city over the next five years. 

The project will involve a mix of test planting and seeding on various sites, trial plots, demonstration gardens, and laboratory research, all aimed at discovering the most sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost effective landscape treatments for Prince George’s climate.

The partnership is expected to result in 30 acres of City property being converted to low-mow grass and wildflower mixes in place of higher maintenance lawns, as well as various combinations of native and north-hardy shrubs and perennials.

 “This is a great project that has really come along at exactly the right time, as we are dealing with the Pine Beetle aftermath,” says Mark Fercho, Manager of Environmental Services for the City. “This initiative fits well with our existing programs, and gives our staff a chance to get some questions about pest resistance and different maintenance regimes answered.”

The city’s landscape has been changing radically over the past year, as more than 16,000 pine trees on City property alone have been removed as a result of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic.  In addition to this, growing concerns over water conservation, climate change, and the use of herbicides and pesticides are motivating this multi-disciplinary look at better and perhaps more beautiful ways to landscape.

REAPS (Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society) has been at the forefront of sustainable landscaping since 1995, points out Environmental Educator Terri McClymont.  “This new partnership is very exciting for us, and we are looking forward to being part of a project that will help us, as a community, reduce the resources that go into creating and maintaining landscapes. As part of Communities in Bloom, we are also delighted about the beautification aspect, of course.”

Sites targeted for the initial phase of the five year project include Carrie Jane Grey Park, Studio 2880, University Way Boulevard, UNBC, sections of Highway 97, and the Regional Correctional Centre grounds.

 “It is due to the foresight of the Prince George City Council and city staff, as well as our funders and partners, that this project has come together so quickly,” says Dr Annie Booth of the School of Environmental Planning at UNBC who is working with fellow UNBC Planning professor Eric Rapaport on the project. “It promises to be very exciting and useful at the same time.”

The project is being funded by the City, the Vancouver Foundation, the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, the Ministry of Transport, and UNBC. Other community partners include the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society, Prince George Communities in Bloom, the Winter Cities Commission, the Prince George Youth Custody Centre, and the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.