Scrubscape : Restoring Old Florida

The Florida scrub is a unique, highly specialized ecosystem found in areas of higher elevation across the state, most predominantly on the Lake Wales Ridge. Once an ancient island, this elevated strip of land running through Central Florida is home to dozens of endemic species found nowhere else in the world such as the iconic Florida scrub-jay. Due to decades of fire suppression and habitat fragmentation caused by citrus farming and suburban development, the scrub has become critically endangered. This project proposes a restored scrub preserve and park on land with degraded citrus groves in Lake Wales, Florida to serve as a crucial surrogate habitat for at-risk species and to help form a connection between people and this overlooked ecosystem. The design will showcase the complex and exciting intricacies of the scrub by using landscape design as a medium of storytelling to make ecosystem exploration more immersive.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofUnreviewedGraduat