Campus Grounds

Campus landscapes demonstrate excellence through careful attention to detail, ensuring that outdoor spaces are clean, safe, coherent, and legible. Coherence arises from moderate repetition—especially through the extensive use of native species—which connects the campus to its regional and historical contexts. Legibility emerges from clear, consistent boundaries created through conscientious trimming and edging.

In all of this, we strive for balance: pursuing excellence without evoking sterility and exclusivity.

Our landscapes celebrate the College’s cultural diversity and commitment to multiple perspectives. Distinctive exotic species accent a resilient foundation of native plants, illustrating the creative interplay between the local and the global.

Nomadic plant immigrants—often known as “weeds”—are evaluated for their behavior and impact. Species that form aggressive monocultures are discouraged, while those that contribute to vibrant, stable polycultures are welcomed as allies. We express intention and formality not by limiting genetic variety, but through thoughtful design, high standards of care, and clear spatial organization.

Our landscapes reflect a holistic balance between aesthetics and ecology, mind and body. Lewis & Clark College was the first private institution to be certified Salmon-Safe by Salmon-Safe, demonstrating our commitment to protecting regional watershed health.

We integrate natural resource management directly into ornamental spaces through the careful placement of stormwater courses, nurse wood, and deep mulches. Competitive, multi-functional plant communities minimize the need for industrial fertilizers and pesticides. Rather than maintaining static uniformity, our methods embrace natural disturbances, selection pressures, and succession planning—celebrating the dynamism of living systems.

The resulting aesthetic reflects vitality and authenticity: the landscape itself proclaims, “We are a vibrant, living community—not a sterile, mechanized construct.”

The Grounds team’s foundation begins in scholarship, observation, and continual learning. Our methods draw on respected literature and contemporary research, and our team is encouraged to explore innovative solutions to complex problems.

Facilities staff have access to professional development resources and a dedicated career‐development fund to support ongoing education and growth.