Sustainable Landscaping Initiative

Project History and Partners

In February of 2005 REAPS, in partnership with the School of Environmental Planning at the University of Northern BC and The City of Prince George established the Sustainable Landscaping Initiative. Over the next five years, nearly $2 000 000.00 worth of sustainable landscaping will be created in Prince George.

What Is Sustainable Landscaping?

Sustainable landscaping emphasizes plant health and longevity, creating outdoor spaces that utilize fewer inputs, are environmentally friendly and are self-perpetuating over a period of time. Sustainable landscapes demonstrate a harmonious relationship between components (plant design, soils, plant selection, water efficiency and maintenance) in the landscape. A landscape developed with sustainable practices will improve the environment by conserving resources and reducing chemical applications.

What Will This Initiative Do for the City?

The Sustainable Landscaping Initiative, or SLI for short, will help to beautify Prince George. Over 30 acres of municipal property which currently have plain-looking, high maintenance, water-guzzling lawns will be converted to feature more environmentally sustainable landscapes, such as low-mow grass, wildflower mixtures, and creative combinations of native and north-hardy shrubs and perennials. Not only will these new landscapes require less energy and water to maintain, freeing up city landscape crews to look after other locations, it will add colour and new life to a region whose landscape is being decimated by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. More than 16 000 trees, most of them Lodgepole Pine, have been removed in recent years, and that's only on City lands. Factor in crown lands, school properties, and private properties, and the number would be even more staggering!

Since sustainable landscapes involve plants, shrubs and ground covers that thrive in the northern, continental climate of Prince George, they will require less effort to grow. The plants will be healthier and require less, or ideally, no chemical pesticides or herbicides. Not only does this add up to a cost savings for taxpayers (effective pesticides are not cheap), it also makes for a healthier and better city to live in.

Which Sites Are Targetted Under this Program?

Phase One of the five year project include Carrie Jane Grey Park, Studio 2880, the boulevard on University Way, sections of Highway 97, and the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre. Other sites may be targetted for future phases.

If You Would Like More Information . . .

If you would like more information on this exciting project, please contact Dr. Annie Booth, using the contact information listed below.

Annie Booth, PhD., Ecosystems Science and Management Program, School of Environmental Planning, University of Northern British Columbia. Phone: 960-6649, e-mail: annie@unbc.ca .

Thanks to the SLI Funding Sponsors:

In addition to the project partners, this initiative is funded in part by the Vancouver Foundation, the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the Ministry of Transport. Other community partners include: the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society, Prince George Communities in Bloom, the Winter Cities Committee, the Prince George Youth Custody Centre and the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.

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