We are thrilled to share that the Diamond Eagles Society has selected the UNT Pollinative Prairie to receive $77,500 in funding for a new expansion project that will enhance outdoor learning, conservation, and community event opportunities at the four-acre site at UNT's Discovery Park. The funding will support the development of the "Diamond Eagles Community and Learning Area," which includes construction of a large covered pavilion, observational dock, signage, and an accessible walkway to offer a more enjoyable experience while visitors are learning, researching, or simply relaxing at the prairie and adjoining pond.
Established in 2016 as a student-funded We Mean Green Fund project, the UNT Pollinative Prairie is already utilized by 500 students every semester, giving hands-on experience to those interested in studying sustainable urban landscaping and native conservation.
Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye, an Instructional Laboratory Supervisor and Adjunct Lecturer in the UNT Biological Sciences Department, has been the staff advisor for the Pollinative Prairie since its inception. She also led the charge on this most recent project proposal, which was presented in partnership with the UNT College of Engineering and the College of Science. Dr. Michael Thompson, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, is the co-advisor for the project. The Pollinative Prairie is further supported by the Advanced Environmental Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences.
"The UNT Pollinative Prairie Committee and our team from the College of Science and College of Engineering are thrilled to build the Diamond Eagles Community Learning Area!" said Dr. Baxter-Slye. "The pavilion, walkway, and dock will provide better access and shade to all who would like to enjoy this wonderful nature area. We can't wait to provide tours and hold classes under the pavilion. Thank you very much to the Diamond Eagles for your support and partnership!"
The UNT Diamond Eagles Society is a network of passionate donors, alumni and friends of the University of North Texas who collaborate to create high-impact change on campus. Established in 2017, the society has funded five past projects, including the Diamond Eagles Family Patio, the digitization of the Texas Fashion Collection and the Diamond Eagles Garden at Mean Green Acres Hydroponic Farm.
UNT alumnus Jeffrey McLeod ('15), a Diamond Eagles Society member, said he and his wife enjoy being able to support projects that positively impact the campus and Denton community, which they have been part of since 2003.
"My wife and I value the University of North Texas and what it represents in the Denton community environmentally, creatively and educationally," McLeod said. "The Diamond Eagles Society is my way of saying thank you. I believe the organization sets an example for current students and the part they can play in ensuring the university continues as a first-class research institution. It also is an extension of the culture and values that I believe I share with the institution."
The Pollinative Prairie has received accolades and certificates by the UNT Office of Sustainability, the Monarch Watch Waystation, Audubon on Campus, the American Kestrel Partnership, Texan by Nature, and the Xerces Society Million Pollinator Garden Project.
The new pavilion, walkway, signage, and dock will be maintained by UNT Facilities and the existing Pollinative Prairie Committee, a student-led group of 28 undergraduates. All students on the committee are members of the UNT Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), which has 120 undergraduate members who also volunteer at the Prairie.
The new additions to the Pollinative Prairie will ensure continued education and development opportunities for on-going research on sustainability and prairie restoration. The project is slated to begin construction by the end of the spring 2023 semester and will hopefully be complete by June 2024. Dr. Baxter-Slye said that future improvements may include trees along the path and seating areas near the pond.
History of the UNT Pollinative Prairie
The four-acre Prairie was installed by applying numerous restoration techniques to a field that was dominated by invasive, non-native Bermuda grass. During 2016 - 2018, over 300 undergraduate students volunteered approximately 900 hours to turn a field dominated by invasive Bermuda grass with little life into a vibrant prairie with native flowers, grasses, and pollinating insects. In the fall of 2019, hundreds more students helped plant over 8,000 native prairie plants to help further establish the prairie into a healthy living habitat. The 'UNT Greenhouse Crew' has been growing approximately 2,000 native Texas prairie grasses and flowering plants in the Environmental Science greenhouse per year since 2021. These plants are placed into the Prairie once per semester during a week of Environmental Science Lab field trips and community workdays. In the spring of 2022, the UNT Pollinative Prairie Committee was formed by students to conduct routine maintenance, plantings, observations, event planning, and outreach for the prairie.
The ultimate mission of the Pollinative Prairie is to increase native north central Texas flora and fauna species on an urban university campus in order to provide an island of prairie habitat and an outdoor laboratory/classroom for any student, staff/faculty, and community member to learn about native land use, restoration, and conservation. For more information about the prairie, visit https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/we-mean-green-fund/projects/pollinative-prairie.