After what has seemed a like a string of false starts, spring has finally sprung at Curtin.
According to the poets, spring is a season of new love and playful flirtation. And for the pious, it symbolises rebirth and resurrection. But what do the students of Curtin think about spring?
‘Allergies! I get really bad allergies. My eyes get puffy and my nose starts to run,’ says Communications student Amanda Clarke.
‘It’s the time of year when the flies come! They get flown in from the desert. I hate flies,’ says Social Science student Nicole Hentrich.
‘It’s the season when magpies swoop. I can’t even ride my bike to uni anymore because I just get attacked!’ says Cultural Studies student Brad Jefferies.
Perhaps the students are still getting over the winter blues.
The campus grounds, however, have perked-up for spring. Horticulture Supervisor Robert Keen says several different varieties of flowers have been planted in anticipation of spring.
‘Most of the campus is flowering in springtime. The plants sense the warmth and increasing light hours and start to bloom,’ he says.
‘This year we can expect to see some native paper daisies, grevilleas and some kangaroo paws blooming around campus.’
Robert and his team have also begun to create an “edible garden” for spring this year. Located by the Future Students Centre, the garden will boast berries, guavas, mangos and different herbs for staff and students to enjoy.
With more than 400 separate garden beds spread over Curtin’s 116 hectare Bentley campus, maintenance of the grounds is not exactly a “walk in the park”. A team of 22 dedicated staff work hard to create gardens that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally friendly.
‘Although we do like to mix it up by planting some exotic plants, we give priority to native plants,’ Mr Keen says.
‘We also recycle and mulch our own green waste, use special soils and crystals to help water absorption and avoid heavy-water-needs plants.’
The University has also recently installed a satellite irrigation system to help reduce water usage. Mr Keen said the system will make it easier to track and regulate water use around campus.
[imagebrowser id=10]
