Townsend Hall East Lawn and Garden

About CANR

About

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and its public-facing units, including the UD Botanic Gardens (UDBG), Cooperative Extension, and UDairy Creamery, serve as entry points to the university for community members, prospective students, and campus community members alike. The Townsend Hall Parking Lot is central to that entry point and currently stands as an uninspiring and underutilized space dividing integral components of the landscape and CANR’s facilities.

The UD Botanic Gardens and CANR are leading the charge to transform a portion of this parking lot into the Townsend East Lawn and Garden. Initial funding has been secured from a private foundation to begin this initiative and we aim to create an intentional connection between the existing areas of UDBG's collections while fostering a welcoming entry point that improves wayfinding, safety, and accessibility to our campus amenities and collections.

We envision a space that gives our campus an inviting and cohesive appearance while further activating student engagement, experiential learning, and community connections. Drawing on the expertise of UDBG staff, faculty, and extension professionals, the lawn and garden will expand educational efforts to a diverse stakeholder group with programming focused on ecologically minded landscape techniques and management. We also hope these enhancements will attract prospective students and enrich curricular resources available, particularly in majors such as landscape architecture and entomology. In addition, the garden will further facilitate community events and outreach through enhanced access.

Construction is expected to begin in January 2026. Read on for more information on this project and how to support it.

More to explore

A trial plot of flowers bright in bloom.

This project is part of the UD Botanic Gardens, which feature a vibrant living plant collection with more than 3,000 taxa, promoting an understanding and appreciation of plants in the environment.

Explore the Gardens >

The existing parking lot that will be removed.

Figure 1: Existing Townsend parking lot

The proposed scope of the project as a mapped aerial view: between UDairy and the south end of Townsend Hall.

Figure 2: Proposed scope of the project as an aerial view.

A view of the proposed site from the air, featuring a large green lawn area, benches, a restroom facility, brick pathways and greenery.

Figure 3: A prospective rendering.

Timeline

Frequently asked questions

How will the Townsend East Lawn and Garden serve our communities and audiences?

Campus community

Direct curricular support for CANR’s programs
Opportunities for relaxation between classes, outdoor gathering/class space
Education and interpretation around sustainable design practices

Public community

Encourage visitation, visitors understand how to navigate the site and which areas are accessible
Public education and events (trainings, tours, etc.) through UDBG and extension
Extension opportunities for trainings with Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists

Industry

Industry expos and reciprocal tours with area gardens/businesses
Share living collection materials with production growers
Industry use of extension resources (plant diagnostics, soil samples, general professional knowledge)

Alumni and prospective students

Showcase resources available to students: great resources attract great students
Continuing elevation of CANR’s resources reflects well on alumni in the workforce.
Fosters a deeper sense of connection with alumni coming back to campus as they have greater awareness/remembrance of the resources available.

How will the Townsend East Lawn and Garden address current site challenges?

The new area will give cues about how visitors should navigate the space, along with an explanation of the resources available.
Areas where vehicular and pedestrian traffic intersect will be amended to improve safety and accessibility.

Give

You can support the Townsend East Lawn and Garden project with a gift of any amount. Your generosity will help bring this natural space to life and make it accessible to be enjoyed year-round by the campus and our local community. Naming opportunities are available.