One of the campus landscaping task force’s jobs is planning green space Photo Download Cleanup is underway to get ready for lake improvement Photo Download

As of mid-February, nearly 40 buildings on the new campus had passed quality inspection. Did you know that there is a task force on campus landscaping? In this issue of My UM, they tell us more about the greening plan for the new campus.

The task force on campus landscaping is under the Facility Operations and Maintenance Section of the Campus Management Office. Team leader Joseph Lin Yu Chih says growing a tree is like growing a new life, which he thinks is what makes the job most meaningful. According to Joseph, planning is important, but nurturing and taking good care of the young seedlings to ensure sustainable growth is even more important. Currently the task force’s job involves assisting with the quality inspection of landscaping works; developing, planning and designing; as well as maintenance and management.

“Will you wait for me to grow up?”

There will be altogether 22,000 trees on the new campus. Some of them have already been planted, like the floss-silk trees lining the Central Avenue, which had students and parents snapping away on the day of the graduation ceremony. Some visitors who have been to the new campus have commented about how it would be even better if the trees were taller and lusher. But actually, our colleagues are still carefully following the conditions of each seedling, including the thickness of the stalks and the health status of the plant, in order to weed out those that don’t meet the criteria. Joseph says growing trees takes loving care and patience. Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is a green campus.

Greening Plan

Joseph’s team’s greening plan for the new campus is to make full use of the outdoor space to create scenic spots with distinctive characteristics. For example, the rooftop garden at the Pearl Jubilee Building on the current campus is a popular place for UM staff and students to unwind after a stressful day. There will be more such places on the new campus. Almost every building on the new campus will have a rooftop garden with unique characteristics. Besides adding to the aesthetic appeal of the campus, the rooftop gardens will be able to help reduce heat radiation, thereby saving energy. Joseph’s team is planning to build a garden full of potted plants, all of which will be donated by Dr. Wu Yee Sun, next to the Administration Building. The attractive layout of the potted plants and the multitude of colours thus created would make you feel as if you are in a gallery of botanical art.

The university is going to carry out lake improvement in stages. Special engineering techniques will be adopted to turn the stagnant lake water into flowing water. Joseph tells us that the ultimate goal of his team’s landscaping effort is to make the outdoor space both beautiful and usable so as to encourage UM members to spend more time outdoors.

26/02/2014