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Ecology at EmoryThe previous Campus Plan for Emory, produced in 1998, admits that the original balance of building and environment envisioned by Emory's first architect, Henry Hornbostel, in 1915 was lost in the building boom from 1960 to the present. [Campus Plan 1998, pp. 8-9] In the October 17, 2000 Emory Report, the Committee on Traditions and Community Ties (CONTACT) reported the results of their survey of campus students, staff, and faculty. It was clear that the campus community placed high value on the natural areas of campus. Up until recently on Emory's website, the remaining natural areas of campus (Lullwater, Hahn Woods, Baker Woodlands) were highlighted in the visitors' guide. We continue to embrace the vision of a campus which includes natural areas in balance with our human constructions. As more and more human construction covers up the natural world, however, and especially after the shuttle road through Lullwater Forest was approved in 1999, people have become increasingly anxious that the imbalance continues to worsen. There is a growing interest in preserving the natural areas that remain relatively untouched and in restoring areas that have been heavily disturbed. Not only would these actions improve our quality of life on campus, they would enhance the quality of life of people downstream from us and in the neighborhoods around us. By extension there is a growing commitment to conserve energy and recycle materials in order to minimize Emory's ecological footprint in the world outside our immediate boundaries and to work for a standard of sustainability. The ecology of Emory's Druid Hills campus can be approached by looking at the natural character of its ecosystems, the history of human impact, and finally Emory's policies and practices that bear on its present and future. Take a look also at our slide shows of plants, trees, and wildlife, as well as current construction and restoration projects. |
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