In the spirit of Earth Day, the Arboretum and Landscape Committee will sponsor the first annual Student Planting Project today along Engineer's Way by Thornton Hall.
"We've been trying to find ways to celebrate and bring greater attention to the Grounds and the beautiful asset and important role the Grounds play in the University community, and so tying it to the Earth Day celebration seems like a good fit," Arboretum and Landscape Committee Chair Nancy Takahashi said. "We also wanted to see if we could encourage students to take a greater step in the stewardship of the Grounds."
After a year of planning, the Committee chose Engineer's Way as the site for the event.
"It's a really high traffic area," said Ashby Leavell, undergraduate student member of the Committee. "Students ride their bikes down on the plantings, and it's all torn up. Because it's so worn down and such a visible area, and because it's so unattractive right now, we just wanted to make it better."
In addition to the hundreds of vinca plants chosen for planting, chains and bollards also were purchased as a means of protecting the foliage. According to Takahashi, the Committee allocated about $6,000 to the project.
The Arboretum and Landscape members, however, are not the only ones involved in the project.
"Facilities Management crews are already doing a lot of prep work getting ready for the planting and will provide a lot of labor tomorrow," Takahashi said. "We are also working in coordination with the Office of the Architect, who helped fit the plan for the day into the larger picture."
Currently, about 50 volunteers are signed up to assist in the planting, but "walk-ons are absolutely welcome," Takahashi said.
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