THE TESTING GROUNDS
This design concept centers on the arboretum as a landscape laboratory that serves the community as an education and recreational space. A world-class environmental research station investigates on-site carbon sequestration and storage potential, providing a model for south Texas for carbon credit certification programs, as well as tree species suitability and adaptability to climate change locally. The arboretum manages an on-site nursery to provide rare and
under-represented local genotype tree species to support the city's urban forestry program.
Test fields, orchards, and managed forest stands are all curated for experimental research to
inform and enrich the knowledge of South Texas restoration ecology practices, agricultural
practices, and heat, drought, and flood adaption strategies. With large portions of the site
dedicated to controlled experiments, the work and research are all revealed to visitors through
interactive media and trail signage, education sessions, and volunteer events. School trips
expose students directly to scientists, and a workforce training program provides critical skills
training for people looking to enter the ‘green’ jobs industry.
Research Center
The Testing Grounds is a landscape laboratory serving the community for education and research.
The Testing Grounds design has the primary entrance on Military Drive, with the Research Center, cultivation facilities, and labs located off of the main parking lot and within the Old Republic parcel. Adjacent to the Research Center are back-of-house structures, greenhouses, and field station housing for visiting academics and students, concentrating the building
program at the northeastern side of the site.
Seed Bank & Restoration Area
Testing Orchard
Event Center
The Testing Grounds' areas of use and activity invite the community to be participants in research, testing, learning, and recreation in South Texas ecology.
Bexar County Accessible Playground
Retail Native Plant Nursery
Canopy Zip Line
Training Center & Outdoor Learning
Pollinator Garden
The Testing Grounds features separated hiking, biking, and car paths that provide access to areas where research can be observed. Water on site is used to introduce a contemporary interpretation of acequias as channels to irrigate a network of agroforestry test plots. Plant collections are organized by traditional plant classifications with an intentional focus on research species for climate adaptation.
Visitor Center
