Walking around the State Capitol grounds, you may have noticed some changes in the landscape recently. No, the groundskeepers aren’t slacking off and just not mowing. Instead the “natural look” is part of an ecolawn trial for the summer, planting a variety of natural grasses, perennials, and wildflowers and allowing them to grow without many restrictions. It is much different from the typical well-manicured grasses we have seen on the State Capitol Campus for many decades.
Campus horticulturist Brent Chapman says the idea first came about from feedback from staffers to the East Campus groundskeepers. “People were missing the flowers we used to have funded, so the wheels started turning,” he shares with me. He says groundskeeper Thomas Lambert had the original idea and put the project in motion. He wanted to figure out how to save resources and provide more flowers throughout the year for the public to enjoy.
What’s interesting is this idea of a more natural landscape is not a new concept for the State Capitol. Back when the grounds were first being designed, a firm by the name of The Olmsted Brothers had an idea very similar to what the ecolawn aims to do now. “Their original vision for West Campus was when people came to the seat of government that they would walk through more wild and natural woods, shrubs, and ground cover, providing a physical and mental transition from wild to more maintained.” When the Great Depression hit, funds ran low. At the time, one great big lawn was easier and less expensive to install.
But these days a more wild landscape is actually just the opposite. An ecolawn costs less to maintain because it uses less water, fertilizer, and reduces mowing time. Saving on labor costs is key now that budget cuts have reduced the landscape crew numbers by about half.
Kevin Battin is the lead groundskeeper for the West Campus and says the ecolawn project has definitely made things easier. Although they still mow around the edges of the ecolawn and pathways through it, the space requires far less maintenance than majority of the campus. “The jury’s still out for sure, but I do see it possibly evolving into other areas or migrating to specific spots,” he says.
And an ecolawn isn’t just about simplifying workloads – a big goal is to help the environment at the same time. Brent says an ecolawn behaves much differently than a well-manicured landscape because of what it attracts. “We’ve increased the habitat for pollinators. We’ve already noticed more butterflies, dragonflies and bees.” He tells me with the extreme decrease in bees nationwide, it’s important to be a role model and contribute to a bigger cause. “We’re part of that ecosystem and I think we all like to be healthier. The decisions we make here can help improve that.”
Even with all the positive reasons for an ecolawn, it’s still a big change for the State Capitol Grounds and not everyone is on board. Kevin says he’s been met with one obstacle – the initial public perception – while working on the project. “A lot of times people are just scared because they don’t know about it yet,” he tells me and adds that they have received a lot of passionate feedback from people on both sides. But according to their online survey, about two-thirds of the people are in favor of the change. Brent says he has overheard people saying they are even going to try the concept on their own yards at home. “Ecolawn is not a new concept, but to do it in such a highly visible public setting is really revolutionary.”
Brent tells me he hasn’t heard of any other State Capitol grounds doing such a project, but maybe this one will serve as a role model for others. The project will gain national attention in the near future when it is featured in the monthly Governing Magazine. Regardless of whether an ecolawn is a great fit for Washington State’s Capitol grounds, it’s definitely paving the way for other similar projects and opening minds to new possibilities. “As a seat of government, we really want to be a model for how to sustainably manage landscapes using resources to the best of our ability,” says Brent.
If you would like to see the ecolawn trial for yourself, you can find it on the West Campus located in front of the greenhouse. It’s hard to miss because it’s the greenest grass on the campus. Also be sure to visit the East Campus and see the other ecolawn trial with an array of wildflowers blooming in the raised beds along the main walkway. You can then share your opinion about the project by scanning the QR Code on the ecolawn signs with your phone or by visiting the survey website.
Brent is excited to gain more public opinion on the project. “It’s really a social experiment. How will the public accept the aesthetics? It’s one thing to save resources, but is it appropriate aesthetics for the State Capitol?”
