海角社区 adds 2,000 trees to campus landscape, transforming university鈥檚 鈥榞reat outdoors鈥
Contact: Nicole Thomas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥敽＝巧缜檚 landscape team has planted more than 2,000 trees over the past five years, strengthening the university鈥檚 canopy and advancing its current strategic effort to optimize the university鈥檚 outdoor environment.
From majestic native hardwoods to decorative flowering species, the varied tree plantings are creating and enhancing shaded spaces for students, faculty and visitors on the campus recognized for 12 consecutive years as a institution.
鈥淲ith every tree we plant, we鈥檙e thinking 20, 30, even 50 years into the future,鈥 said Saunders Ramsey, executive director of Campus Services. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about creating a landscape now that future generations of Bulldogs can also enjoy鈥攑laces to walk, study, gather and connect with nature.鈥
This summer, as Mississippi has experienced a severe heat wave, the benefits of trees are especially noticeable. Trees reduce rising ground temperatures and cool shaded areas by as much as 10 degrees, but the value doesn鈥檛 stop there.
鈥淭rees do so much more than provide shade,鈥 said Jim Bo Hearnsberger, associate director of Campus Landscape. 鈥淭hey clean the air we breathe, help manage stormwater, create habitats for wildlife, and reduce energy use by cooling buildings and sidewalks. It鈥檚 a lasting return on investment for the entire campus community.鈥
Ramsey echoed Hearnsberger鈥檚 point of view on how landscapes are vital to the university鈥檚 infrastructure plan.
鈥淭rees are one of the most valuable investments we can make for the future of our campus,鈥 Ramsey said. 鈥淭hey shape the way people experience 海角社区.鈥
Hearnsberger鈥檚 team carefully selects and places trees to maximize impact, focusing on high-traffic walkways, gathering areas, parking lots, and new developments 鈥攑laces where shade, beauty and comfort matter most.
One of those places is the university鈥檚 newest green space鈥擬cCarthy Quad. Opening this fall adjacent to the new Jim and Thomas Duff Center, it will feature a mix of nearly 50 newly planted Nuttall and Willow Oak trees. The university also has added in recent years new trees along the College View connector, around Chadwick Lake, and at Partnership Middle School as part of annual Arbor Day celebrations.
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