FAU plans new parking structure on nature preserve
Florida Atlantic University may build a parking garage on the Boca Raton campus’ nature preserve, and some Student Government officials are fighting against the iea to build the parking structure. FAU is planning to build the structure west of Parking Deck 3, which is located just west of FAU Stadium and north of the baseball field.
FAU recently released the Boca Raton Campus Master Plan Update with information on future land usage. The document cites issues with limited parking due to student population growth and includes an idea to build a parking structure over Tortuga Trail, which is located behind FAU Stadium. University officials plan to have this project completed within the next five years as they have labeled it as a “priority project.”
Tortuga Trail is home to the gopher tortoise and the burrowing owl, FAU’s mascot. The current plan would encroach upon the trail, which would threaten the habitats of those animals.
Environmental Club president Rachel Lapensee expressed her fear for the wellbeing of the species on the preserve and believes construction will harm environmental and conservation efforts.
SG Representative Rachel Starck explained that when workers begin construction on the land, construction will separate animals, preventing gene flow from happening during breeding as only small populations will breed repeatedly.
According to Lapensee, the plan to construct a parking structure on the preserve is not surprising. She believes FAU does not have the best track record pertaining to environmental efforts. However, other students do not mind giving up the trail in order to have a place to park their car.
“It’s more of an annoyance and I just don’t want to compromise,” Starck explained. “I definitely agree that parking is an issue on campus, but I don’t think it should come at the cost of the animals that live on the preserve. Certainly not the burrowing owls, which are the mascot of FAU.”
Currently, SG is considering a resolution to voice their concerns to the university. Members are also tabling in the breezeway to help raise awareness, along with conducting trail cleanups and tours of the preserve.
Lapensee said students can email her, Starck, or Feaheny with questions, along with attending Environmental Club meetings.
Lapensee states that protecting the preserve is important and although a parking structure may not be perceived as an item of great issue, the environmental impacts the wildlife on the preserve will face are immense.
“If we’re gonna say we wanna protect the owls and our school’s mascot is literally the burrowing owl, we can’t bulldoze their habitat– where they live. I mean, action starts with us,” Starck said. “This is our future, our school, and we must put in the effort to protect our species and land. Because change starts here before it moves to higher levels.”
SG President Pierce Kennamer and Vice-President Dalia Calvillo did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
Victoria White is a contributing writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email whitev2021@fau.edu or message her on Instagram at @victoriaawhitee_.
Latest University Press
- FAU seeks input from faculty and staff in search of a new provostFlorida Atlantic University administrators hosted two listening sessions on April 30 to seek out qualities faculty and staff hope to find in the search for the new permanent provost to oversee academic affairs at the university. According to the FAU website, the provost leads the Office of the Provost, which “provides leadership to achieve excellence...
- Against all odds: FAU student Damian Richter’s journey with autismAfter being diagnosed with mild to moderate autism spectrum disorder a month before his third birthday, Florida Atlantic University student Damian Richter is a living testimony to others that their disability does not define them. Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that affects how people communicate, interact with others and view the world. One in...
- FAU tree study hub: Experts discuss tree preservation and health benefitsThe “Tree of Life” is a classic study hotspot on the Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton campus. This tropical Ficus tree has a long history, with names carved into its pale brown bark and aerial roots stretching down from its branches in hopes of anchoring in the soil. For college students, this outdoor desk in...
- Trump administration reverses student visa revocations, including six FAU studentsIn recent weeks, the Trump administration revoked the visas of six Florida Atlantic University students, prompting concerns about their legal immigration status and potential deportation. However, FAU spokesperson Joshua Glanzer said all visa revocations have since been reversed. “We don’t have any information on why. That lies with the federal government,” Glanzer wrote in an...
- From notetaking to dodging critters: The co-existence of students and wildlife at Florida AtlanticLocated three miles from the beach’s shoreline, Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus holds over 29,000 students according to their website. Within the human population is an abundance of wildlife, from the nocturnal species of raccoons and coyotes to iguanas and burrowing owls. As students make their way to classes, they’re likely to catch a...
- Hooked and stolen: How rebounding shark populations are changing Florida’s fishingIn the turquoise waters off Florida’s East coast, Captain Douglas Covin cuts his boat engine and waits. Within minutes, they arrive – six 300-pound bull sharks circling expectantly. The moment a sailfish takes his line and before he can even begin to reel it in, the sharks strike, leaving him with only half a fish...