Rollins students present 'Olmsted Heritage Park' concept for Druid Hills site in Lake Wales

Students from Rollins College on Monday presented a concept plan for a four‑acre neighborhood park in the Druid Hills area, calling it the Olmsted Heritage Park. The plan centers on restoring a sandhill habitat, planting native longleaf pines and wiregrass, and creating a pastoral center, picturesque groves, pastoral strands and a framed border to improve habitat and passive recreation.

The presentation was led by Isabelle Bonin and accompanied by a team of Rollins students and their faculty sponsor, Dr. Bruce Stevenson, who said the work was informed by precedents such as Winter Park's Central Park Ramble and Box Sanctuary. The students said the plan prioritizes native species to reduce long‑term maintenance and irrigation needs.

"The highest point is 182 feet and the lowest point is 157 feet," student Isabelle Bonin said, noting site topography affects drainage and habitat. She described existing vegetation as a mix of native and invasive species and said the plan would increase native sandhill cover.

Design elements and planting

Students described a multi‑element plan: a pastoral center with longleaf pine and native grasses; seven picturesque groves of longleaf pine, turkey oak and scrub bay; alternating pastoral strands that connect groves and frame sight lines; and a planting border to buffer adjacent residences.

The presentation included planting inventories. The students said the full plan would use roughly 1,000 plants. They referenced separate counts for different areas, noting about 170 longleaf pines in the pastoral center and a separate border total of about 149 longleaf pines as shown in their slides; staff will reconcile final plant counts during design and procurement.

Professor Bruce Stevenson and commissioners

Dr. Bruce Stevenson introduced the student team and compared the concept to successful long‑term restorations in Winter Park and at Bok Tower Gardens. "This is a conceptual plan; it's a plan for you all to look at this site and choose what you'd like to do," Stevenson said. He and the students emphasized the low‑maintenance benefit of native plant palettes in sandy, fast‑draining soils.

Commissioners expressed strong support for the concept and praised the students' work. No formal vote or funding decision was taken; staff said the presentation will inform next steps if the commission wants to pursue the concept further.

Clarifying details

- Students estimated roughly 1,000 plants for the concept; presentation slides listed planting subcounts that staff said will be reconciled during design. - Students identified longleaf pine, wiregrass, saw palmetto and turkey oak as primary native species for the sandhill habitat. They noted certain species (for example, garberia) are state‑listed and require special handling.

Next steps

The presentation was informational. Commissioners asked staff to study implementation options, costs and irrigation/establishment needs; staff said initial watering and establishment work may be required for some species but that mature native plantings require minimal irrigation once established.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article were present in the meeting record: Dr. Bruce Stevenson (presenter/consultant), Isabelle Bonin (student presenter), Elizabeth Gross (student presenter), Isaiah Zechariah (student presenter).