GSM Principal Gretchen McCann leads Cal Poly Landscape Architecture students in 10-week field study of California’s native plant communities.
In spring 2015, Gretchen had the exciting opportunity to pass on her extensive knowledge of California native plants to the next generation of landscape architects in Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Landscape Architecture Department. Gretchen McCann graduated from Cal Poly in 1983, and has practiced landscape architecture in California for decades. Upon her return to the university as a faculty member, she guided 34 second-year landscape architecture students on a series field hikes exploring and documenting the diverse and beautiful flora of the Central Coast.
Students participated in laboratory hikes as a part of their coursework to study California native plants, plant communities and general ecology. They were able to observe unique characteristics of the Central Coast’s geology and microclimates that support an extraordinary diverse number of native plant species.
Locations for field study included Cal Poly’s general campus areas, Leaning Tree Arboretum and Poly Canyon, Bishop’s Peak, SLO Botanical Garden, Johnson Ranch, Los Osos Oaks State Reserve and an end of quarter trip to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden where students could observe quarter-long reviewed plants in a large, historically significant setting.
Class lectures supported laboratory hikes with further review of plant history, families, species and varieties, specific areas of occurrence in California and use in design. Focus throughout the quarter surrounded California’s drought and the importance of specifying native plants for long-range sustainability and protection of natural resources.