When the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened in Expo Park, it replaced an asphalt parking lot with 11 acres of park space. However, native plant advocates and experts point out that the grounds rely heavily on non-native lawns and species, falling short of the 50% to 70% native plant thresholds recommended for local wildlife habitats, latimes.com reported.
What did native plant advocates find at the Lucas Museum gardens?
Atop the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art sits a rooftop garden not accessible to the public.
“What a perfect spot,” he said, latimes.com reported. “That’s an easy part to start to flip to support our native species.”
At a museum preview event, Mia Lehrer, president of Studio-MLA, the architectural firm behind the gardens, described looking to California's mountains, meadows, foothills, and valleys for inspiration.
“The landscape will foster habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies,” she said, according to latimes.com. While there are some native plants and drought-tolerant varieties across the grounds, expansive non-native lawns blanket the site.
Why do experts say the planting choices fall short?
Sarabia, the longtime conservation director for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, visited the museum twice during its first weeks of operation. He noticed an absence of bees and birds, which serve as key indicators of a healthy habitat.
The Lucas Museum declined to reveal its exact percentage of native plants, but native plant experts estimate it doesn’t clear either threshold. Shrubs and ground covers measure far less than that, though trees boost the total number.
How did designers and museum officials respond to the criticism?
After latimes.com shared experts’ critiques and offers of assistance with the Lucas Museum and Studio-MLA, the organizations issued a joint statement. They asserted that the museum never set a specific target for native plants, but did not respond to the proposition of collaborating on replacements.
Miller questioned specific aesthetic choices that bypassed local ecology. Rather than plant Pacific madrone, a locally native species known to be in decline, designers opted for strawberry tree, a species native to the Mediterranean.
National Wildlife Federation recommends seventy percent native plants
What is the minimum native plant threshold recommended for wildlife habitats?
The National Wildlife Federation recommends a minimum goal of 70% native plants to supply sufficient habitat for local wildlife, while the Theodore Payne Foundation requires at least 50% for its annual native garden tour.
Did the Lucas Museum set a specific native plant target during planning?
No. According to a joint statement issued by the museum and Studio-MLA to latimes.com, the museum never set a specific target for native plants.
Where is a nearby example of a garden focused heavily on native plants?
Visitors can view a native plant garden across the street at the Natural History Museum. Studio-MLA also worked on those grounds, creating a space where over 70% of the 400 new plants are native to the area, latimes.com reported.
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