by Center Staff | Oct 10, 2018
TLLC Child Development Center In 2018, Wildflower Center Ecologist Michelle Bertelsen and Landscape Architect Adam Barbe crafted a concept package for a new, nature-focused playscape at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church’s Child Development Center. Bertelsen says the...
by Amy McCullough | May 12, 2018
Outdoor Learning Environments The Wildflower Center has partnered with several environmentally-minded organizations to support the Austin chapter of OLE! Texas, an initiative to build nature into childhood education through outdoor learning environments. The OLE!...
by Center Staff | Dec 12, 2016
Blanco River Restoration Following the Memorial Day and Halloween floods of 2015, Center restoration ecologists provided landscape guidance to Hays County residents whose properties were flooded along the Blanco River. Guidance took the form of an instructional...
by Center Staff | Oct 24, 2016
Prescribed Fire Research Wildflower Center land managers and researchers have been lighting landscapes on fire since 2001. Why? Center Director of Land Resources Matt O’Toole, who usually serves as burn boss, admits it might sound counter-intuitive, but explains that...
by Center Staff | Aug 29, 2016
SkySystem™ Green roofs in hot climates got off to slow start. They were up against a lot: extreme temperatures, intense rainfall events and long periods of drought. Plant roots — and the matter they live in — have to remain cool enough to survive and be able to retain...
by Center Staff | Aug 29, 2016
Habiturf®: The Ecological Lawn Turfgrasses have a wide range of applications: roadsides, parks, corporate campuses, golf courses, utility rights of way and residential lawns. But they’re often villainized as requiring high levels of nutrients, water and...
by Center Staff | Aug 24, 2016
SITES® Rating System Landscapes can be more than just beautiful spaces or outdoor play places. They can be regenerative, protective and beneficial to all living things. The Sustainable SITES Initiative® promotes the creation of sustainable built landscapes that reduce...
by Center Staff | Aug 24, 2016
Ecological Roadsides Lady Bird Johnson saw roadside restoration as an opportunity to bring ecological richness, plant and animal biodiversity, and regional identity to what might otherwise be unhealthy, homogenous areas lined with billboards and invasive species. The...
by Center Staff | Aug 21, 2016
Mission Reach Restoration The Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project — part of the nation’s largest urban ecosystem restoration project — rehabilitated and enhanced the hydrological and ecological function of 8 miles of the San Antonio River...
by Center Staff | Aug 17, 2016
George W. Bush Presidential Center Located on Southern Methodist University’s campus, the George W. Bush Presidential Center — which achieved LEED platinum certification (the highest rating) — is a marvel of environmental functionality and natural beauty....
by Center Staff | Aug 17, 2016
Goldsmith Hall Living Wall The University of Texas at Austin celebrated the opening of its first “living wall” on June 1, 2016. The 10-by-25-foot honeycomb structure (constructed by Austin’s Drophouse Design) adds a touch of wonder to “The Drag” (the portion of...
by Center Staff | Aug 17, 2016
Bluestem Park The Wildflower Center and Hillwood, a Dallas-based development company, celebrated the grand opening of Bluestem Park in Fort Worth, Texas, in May 2016. The park began the transformation from degraded field to revitalized native plant and wildlife...
by Center Staff | Aug 17, 2016
Edgeland House Edgeland House is the result of collaboration between Wildflower Center environmental designers and architecture and urban planning firm Bercy Chen Studio LP. Based loosely on the design of early Native American pit houses, this private residence along...
by Center Staff | Aug 16, 2016
Dell Medical School Green Roof An 11,000-square-foot succulent-and-wildflower garden on top of a seventh floor parking garage, this green roof, planted in July 2016, is visible from the attached Health Transformation Building, as well as from hospital rooms in the...
by Center Staff | Aug 15, 2016
John Gaines Pool House Green Roof This green roof — which was designed by Wildflower Center staff and planted in the Center’s own SkySystem™ growing medium — tops a bathing pavilion at John Gaines Park in Austin’s mixed-use Mueller development. It features succulents...
by Amy McCullough | May 24, 2016
Admissions Kiosk Opened in March 2013, the Center’s Admissions Kiosk isn’t just green on top. Despite its small size, it’s positively packed with sustainable features, from repurposed denim insulation to renewable cork floors. It also features a “solar awning,” or...
by Amy McCullough | May 24, 2016
Robb’s Roost Home is where the science is. That’s the saying, right? You might get that impression after visiting Robb’s Roost, a seating and observation area featuring a green roof planted with Habiturf® native grass mix and SkySystem™ growing...
