First Street Towers, completed in 2009, was the first residential native landscaping project on campus. The facility has native plants mixed with traditional varieties (e.g. spring bulbs), but is centered on the native varieties, such as little bluestem grass, prairie dropseed, and deschampsia. The landscaping was accomplished with the active involvement of the Tower residents and managers, who identified various issues to be addressed by the Grounds Crew. The landscape currently being installed (and which started in 2012) integrates flowering perennials (like butterfly weed, goldenrod and windflower) with the native grasses, to help people unfamiliar with the appearance of native grasses to better appreciate them. Although native grasses tend to look messier than traditional turf, they require far less resources, are more self-sustaining, and greatly enhance local bio-diversity. Office of University Sustainability
