alcoves and smaller scale spaces is important to the visitor experience, it should not happen at the expense of the long meadow vista. The large scale main meadow should be retained in the southeastern portion of the site with a long view almost to the top of the site where the sma 11 er aI coves occur. The diagrams we developed with Ed and Chris on site shows both the proposed layout of the savannah and of the firebreaks and their management for the southern portion of the arboretum. 8. The savannah exhibit is one of the most important to the Crosby Arboretum and must be maintained to foster the maximum impact from the wildflowers. A regular burning regimen is mandatory. The three year hiatus in burning which occurred recently because of the demands of lake and pavilion construction illustrates clearly how rapidly the meadow deteriorates as an herbaceous display when woody growth advances. The site will also look 'disturbed' for longer than is desirable because the charred woody stems are more persistent than burned herbaceous plants Even in the most demanding times, regular burning should be maintained. A permanent firebreak system will make this less difficult. 9. Lastly, fire protection of the pavilion is especial ly important. At present the pond and road layout provide an excellent circumferential firebreak system shou ld wildfire occur. Within that area, some hand clearing may also be advisable during excessively dry seasons.
POND CONFIGURATION During the construct ion process, severa l changes were made to the schematic design which we developed. The grading, for example, was mOdified 'r\CA8Fl BeFiA~S Pâ‚Ź'v'eBled tI idl UIe laRe coa ld be no deeper than 6' without intersecting a deep sand layer which would have drained the water out. Simi larly, changes in configuration were made to protect some ex isti lig plan tS. However, in this process, the large central area of open water which was designed to be a hedge against the gradually filling process was eliminated, and we are concerned that more rapid closing of the pond is likely. This may be further hastened by slumping of the steep slopes which are unstable when wet and difficult to stabilize.
CROSBY ARBORETUM
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