Townsend East Lawn
& Garden Project
About | Q&A | Project Schedule | Give | Submit a Comment
About
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and its public-facing units, including the UD Botanic Gardens, Cooperative Extension, and UDairy Creamery, serve as entry points to the university for community members, prospective students, and campus community members alike. The Townsend Hall Parking Lot is central to that entry point and currently stands as an uninspiring and underutilized space dividing integral components of the landscape and CANR’s facilities.
The UD Botanic Gardens and CANR are leading the charge to transform a portion of this parking lot into the Townsend East Lawn and Garden. Initial funding has been secured from a private foundation to begin this initiative and we aim to create an intentional connection between the existing areas of UDBG’s landscape while fostering a welcoming entry point that improves wayfinding, safety, and accessibility to our campus amenities and collections.
We envision a space that gives our campus an inviting and cohesive appearance while further activating student engagement, experiential learning, and community connections. Drawing on the expertise of faculty, extension professionals, and UDBG staff, the lawn and garden will expand educational efforts to a diverse stakeholder group with programming focused on ecologically minded landscape techniques and management. We also hope these enhancements will attract prospective students and enrich curricular resources available, particularly in majors such as landscape architecture and entomology. In addition, the garden will further facilitate community events and outreach through enhanced access.
Construction is expected to begin in June of 2025. Stay tuned for more information on how to support this exciting project!
Figure 1: Existing Townsend parking lot
Figure 2: Proposed scope of the project as an aerial view.
Figure 3: A prospective rendering.
Q&A
How will the Townsend East Lawn and Garden serve our communities and audiences?
Campus community
Direct curricular support for CANR’s programs
Opportunities for relaxation between classes, outdoor gathering/class space
Education and interpretation around sustainable design practices
Public community
Encourage visitation, visitors understand how to navigate the site and which areas are accessible
Public education and events (trainings, tours, etc.) through UDBG and extension
Extension opportunities for trainings with Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists
Industry
Industry expos and reciprocal tours with area gardens/businesses
Share living collection materials with production growers
Industry use of extension resources (plant diagnostics, soil samples, general professional knowledge)
Alumni and prospective students
Showcase resources available to students: great resources attract great students
Continuing elevation of CANR’s resources reflects well on alumni in the workforce.
Fosters a deeper sense of connection with alumni coming back to campus as they have greater awareness/remembrance of the resources available.
How will the Townsend East Lawn and Garden address current site challenges?
The new area will give cues about how visitors should navigate the space, along with an explanation of the resources available.
Areas where vehicular and pedestrian traffic intersect will be amended to improve safety and accessibility.
Project schedule
Give
You can support the Townsend East Lawn and Garden project with a gift of any amount. Your generosity will help bring this natural space to life and make it accessible to be enjoyed year-round by the campus and our local community. Naming opportunities are available.
To make a gift, please visit www.udel.edu/makeagift; choose “I’d like to search for a different option,” and then search for “Townsend East.”
Gifts made by check can be sent to Gifts Processing, 83 East Main St., 3rd Floor, Newark, DE 19716; make checks payable to 'University of Delaware' and include on the memo line "Townsend East Lawn and Garden."
For more information, please contact Brian Myers at btmyers@udel.edu or 302-831-2104.
Submit a comment
Comments on the Townsend East Lawn and Garden Project can be submitted using the form below or emailed directly to townsendeast@udel.edu.