[image 1]At the opening ceremony for this year’s Northwest Vista Earth Day celebration, we announced our intent to work on attaining a designation as a Tree Campus USA, a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and administered locally by the Texas Forest Service.
The program recognizes campuses that effectively manage their trees, develop connectivity with the community to foster healthy urban forests and strives to engage students in service-learning forestry projects.
[image 2]Our goal is to become one of the few college campuses in Texas that meets the standards set forth by this program. Thanks goes to Chris Bailey for his research and background research on the project. In the future, you will hear more about how you and your students can get involved in our Tree Campus USA initiatives. Here is a link to the attractive poster that Sabrina Carey and Lisa McDaniel created: [file 1].
We also announced several other initiatives we are kicking off.
- Recycling rechargeable batteries – Several boxes are being placed around campus for the purpose of collecting used up rechargeable batteries, an effort that supports reuse and avoids unnecessary environmental contamination.
- Water bottle filling station – A new water bottle filling station has been installed in Huisache Hall (near the juice, or should I say juiceless bar); so fill your personal water bottle there instead of buying a bottle. You’ll get great free water while helping to take care of our planet with one less plastic bottle at a time. If this station works out, we will install others on campus.
[image 4]We also participated in our annual Earth Day planting. This year we planted a Redbud tree near Palmetto Hall and worked on gardens next to Live Oak Hall.
I would like to thank Sabrina Carey, NVC events coordinator, and everyone else who helped with Earth Day or participated in the events. The NVC Staff Council also rolled up their sleeves and sold out of food.
Here’s a snippet from the poem “Go Plant a Tree” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, read at the opening ceremony by a team that included Felix Salinas from IT; Cluster Byars from the faculty; and student Christina Maldonado:
[image 5]God, what a joy it is to plant a tree,
And from the sallow earth to watch it rise,
Lifting its emerald branches to the skies
In silent adoration; and to see
Its strength and glory waxing with each spring.
Yes, 'tis a goodly, and a gladsome thing
To plant a tree.
Nature has many marvels; but a tree
Seems more than marvellous. It is divine.
So generous, so tender, so benign.
Not garrulous like the rivers; and yet free
In pleasant converse with the winds and birds;
Oh! privilege beyond explaining words,
To plant a tree.
To read more, click on the link.