CAROL BORNSTEIN

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

As Director of the Nature Gardens at the Natural History Museum, my job was to insure that the gardens fulfilled their intended purpose – providing habitat for wildlife and serving as a field site to study urban biodiversity. My horticultural team tended the gardens using sustainable practices. We routinely assessed plant health and monitored the satellite-linked irrigation system to insure maximum water efficiency. The gardeners used hand tools, electric power equipment, organic fertilizers and compost tea made onsite. Integrated pest management strategies kept pests in check and only organic pest control products were used if necessary. Since change is a constant in any garden, plant compositions were adjusted over time. Using the original design concepts of Studio MLA as reference, plant choices were based upon ecological fitness for the site, wildlife habitat value, proper size, and aesthetics.