Green Infrastructure & Urban Prairie

Green Infrastructure and Urban Prairie. . , The historic Cajun Prairie encompassed over 2.5 million acres in Louisiana and Texas, and supported a highly diverse community of plants, wildlife, and pollinating insects. Decades of agricultural and industrial practices, urbanization, and land development have nearly eliminated the ecosystem, with less than 0.01 percent remaining., This urban prairie is a green infrastructure project developed through the Campus as a Living Lab initiative for sustainable development. Students, faculty, and staff planted the area with wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs native to Louisiana. It is designated as a low mow zone, so it is mowed just once or twice a year to encourage restoration of the Cajun Prairie, increase biodiversity, and improve air quality., In the center is an inland storm drain connected to a municipal storm water management system that is part of the Teche-Vermilion watershed. This urban prairie acts as a bioswale, reducing storm water runoff, improving local water quality, and recharging our groundwater supply in the Chicot Aquifer. The area is still carefully maintained to enhance the beauty of the campus and create a habitat for vital pollinators.