Purdue Landscapes

Goal:

The three major goals of our projects are 

  1. To analyze campus plans and illustrations from Purdue Physical Facilities. 
  2. To create a GIS map of pollinator-attracting plants around five buildings on Agricultural Mall; and 
  3.  To create a resource to support the maintenance and upkeep of pollinator-attracting plants to conserve Bee Campus status. 

Community Project Partner: 

Brooke Sammons, Landscape Architect for Purdue Physical Facilities 
 

Team Members

  • Marissa Harless
  • Amanda Finley
  • Katelynn Angel
  • Hannah Gruber
  • Ethan Forestal 

Summary: 

Purdue University has been a member of Bee Campus USA since 2023. However, the location and quantity of pollinator plants on campus have not been documented. Recognizing this need, Purdue’s Physical Facilities has identified the need for a comprehensive database detailing the pollinator plants that inhibit Purdue University’s campus. Our project partner, Brooke Sammons, a landscape architect for Purdue Physical Facilities has expressed a need for a database of pollinator plants on Purdue’s campus. The purpose of our project is to capture pollinator plants in a GIS map so plants can be located by flower color, season of bloom, and the pollinators they attract. We developed an interactive Purdue Bee Campus map and provided the plant details for reference which is useful for mapping the same plant in other areas of campus, and may be added to by anyone. This information will show how Purdue supports Bee Campus USA and be a resource for the public. Purdue Physical Facilities will be able to continue documenting plant data with this map to help conserve Purdue’s status as a Bee Campus. 

Final Report 

 1. The Purdue Bee Campus map   is available on Purdue’s ArcGIS Online platform. The map shows the location of pollinator plants on Purdue’s campus and contains information specific to each plant and its attractiveness to pollinators.  

2. Purdue Bee Campus Map Tutorial: This map tutorial details how to map new plants on the Purdue Bee Campus map.  

3. ArcGIS Field Maps set up: The Purdue Bee Campus map is also accessible on the  ArcGIS Field Maps mobile application. We created a second layer, called Purdue Natural Landscapes, for collecting information about pollinator landscapes on-site. With the ArcGIS Field Maps app, points can be created to capture information about the health of landscapes. Points can include photos of the area and notes about what is observed. Purdue Physical Facilities can use Field Maps to monitor the health of landscapes and determine what plants to add. The points created in Field Maps automatically sync with the Purdue Bee Campus map and can be viewed and edited on ArcGIS Online. 

4. Plant List Google Sheets: Our plant list details the information we researched about the plants included on the Purdue Bee Campus map, including scientific name, attracted pollinators, bloom time, and bloom color. This resource can be used as a reference when mapping the same plants in other areas of campus, and may be added to by anyone. 

purdue-natural-landscapes.jpg