And Then There Were Butterflies: Using Butterfly Life Histories to Design for Urban Butterfly Habitat Gardens
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Date
2018-08-25
Authors
Hawthorne, Chad
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Abstract
Butterfly populations face many challenges, none so great as the loss of
habitat do to urbanization. The practice of clearing native vegetation and
replacing it with an exotic plant palette forces many urban butterflies further
and further from human development. This habitat loss can be mitigated by
strategically planning and designing urban butterfly gardens. The question
then arises, how can these butterfly gardens be designed to best insure
butterfly survival. Through this master’s project I introduce a methodological
process framework for the designing of urban butterfly habitat gardens. This
process centers on design strategies based on butterfly life histories of the
butterfly life cycle, butterfly needs, and butterfly behaviors. Employing the
design strategy of research through designing, this master’s project
demonstrates how designers can employ this framework to ensure the
survival of urban butterflies. To accomplish this goal, I have first produced a
guidebook that walks the reader through this step by step process of using
butterfly life histories to design butterfly gardens. I then demonstrate how to
use the design process by employing the methodological framework on a site
within the city of Eugene, Oregon. I assert, that through a detailed
examination of butterfly life histories, design elements can be generated to
better meet the survival needs of urban butterflies.
Description
Examining committee chair: Jacques Abelman
Keywords
Butterfly gardening, Butterfly, Butterfly life histories, Research through designing