UNT students present Garden Ridge Boulevard native-plant assessment to Lewisville council

University of North Texas ecology students presented an assessment of the Garden Ridge Boulevard low-mow native-plant project at a Lewisville City Council workshop, describing plant coverage, costs, biodiversity observations and public-outreach ideas.

The students said Garden Ridge Boulevard stretches about 1.5 miles across 19 plots totaling about 19.5 acres near multiple elementary schools and parks. They reported that the project has increased recorded taxa on the city’s iNaturalist page since 2021 and listed common native species observed, including lemon bee balm, tall poppy mallow, Texas bluebonnet and Texas yellow star. The students also reported observations relevant to wildlife habitat, including kestrels that appear to be breeding on the boulevard.

The assessment described three seeding approaches the project has used: conventional mowing and seeding, a solarization trial that smothers existing vegetation before seeding, and later-year plantings that show stronger establishment. The students said the city uses a Woods Precision Super Seeder to distribute seed and that the solarization trial covered roughly a half acre at a cost of about $5,500. They reported seed expenditures of roughly $14,000 in one year, with projected costs of about $10,000 the next year and about $4,000 the following year; they also said work to move anchors dropped from about $32,000 to $4,800 over two years, a savings the students characterized as approximately $27,000.

Students emphasized ecological benefits in plain terms: deep roots in prairie plants improve stormwater absorption and can store carbon, and native flowers support pollinators and insect biomass that feed birds and other wildlife. They also noted that some invasive species—field mustard and members of the carrot family—are abundant on some plots and that pollinators nonetheless use those plants.

On outreach and public response, the students proposed changing signs that currently read “No Mow Zone” to “Low Mow Zone” with seasonal messaging (for example, “Shh, we’re sleeping; we’ll be back in spring”), adding interpretive signs and a selfie/photo station, installing “butterfly benches,” producing seed-packet giveaways and stickers, running a nature photography contest, and placing insect displays or pressed-flower exhibits in libraries or recreation centers. The students said they will donate pressed flowers and insect displays to the city and that UNT’s observations and public interactions are already informing neighboring cities’ efforts.

City staff members at the workshop described steps already under way: interpretive signage installations, a planned repository of timelapse or community-contributed photos from a designated photo point along the trail, and periodic video or web content explaining the project timeline and maintenance steps. Council members and residents praised the visual improvements and the data-driven approach; one resident who identified herself as a nearby parent said, “It is just gorgeous,” and described bringing her child past the boulevard daily.

There were no formal motions or votes in the workshop. Discussion items included continued monitoring, expanded community outreach, and potential volunteer or paid student projects to assess private or larger properties. Students and staff said they will continue monitoring plant composition and public response to guide seeding choices and signage.

The presentation documented the project’s local ecological and public-engagement impacts while noting areas for continued management: invasive species presence on some plots, the higher per-area cost of solarization for larger scales, and the need to sustain outreach to reduce neighbor concerns about appearance or pests. Staff and the students encouraged residents and neighborhood groups to request assessments or volunteer assistance through university and city programs.

The workshop ended with expressions of appreciation to the students and city stewards and an offer to repeat assessments or run fall BioBlitz events to track invertebrate and plant communities.