Viridic Disturbance
Initiated during the 2018 Overlook Seminar on “Maintenance,” an adaptive management field experiment has been conducted by Professor of Practice Michael Geffel, UO Campus Planning & Facilities Management, and Lucan Landscaping to understand how the novel maintenance approach of “drift mowing” might strike a balance between Himalayan Blackberry control and meadow succession. Drift Mowing uses operational patterns to demonstrate that the site is cared for while allowing meadow drifts to remain if blackberries are not present. This approach develops landscape design by encouraging the existing reservoir of plant species to “volunteer”, guided by a real time digital design system called “live drawing” which uses drone photogrammetry to model growth.
Geffel, M., Raxworthy, J., Osborn, B. “Viridic Disturbance | reprogramming the tools of landscape maintenance,” LA+ 15: GREEN, University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, 2022
Viridic Disturbance is a research collaboration with UO Campus Planning & Facilities Management (CPFM), Lucan Landscaping, the Fuller Initiative for Productive Landscapes, Julian Raxworthy, and Brian Osborn.CPFM | Aaron Olsen, Assistant Director of Campus Planning / Kevin Farthing, Director of Facilities Management / Rosalee Clanton | Landscape Supervisor / Phil Carrol | Landscape SupervisorThe work of the Fuller Initiative for Productive Landscapes is only possible thanks to the generous support of Mort and Sue Fuller (UO Journalism, Class of 1971).