At Ole Miss, even Kermit the Frog might find it a bit easier to be green. And not just because green is the color of spring, as he sang.
This week, all across campus and throughout Oxford, a number of activities took place to raise awareness about sustainability efforts that provide easy ways for everyone to get involved. The activities also incorporated education about the tremendous benefits of going green.
Today marks the end of “Green Week,” which happens to coincide with National Arbor Day. What better way to wrap up the week than with a tree-planting in our beloved Grove? That was exactly what landscape services had in mind when they reached out to the folks in charge of planning the week’s activities. Today’s ceremony marked the first time Ole Miss has officially celebrated Arbor Day. Two pink dogwoods were planted in the Grove, right across the walkway from a large Baldcypress. Everyone who attended received a Baldcypress seedling to plant at home (see photo).
I learned a lot during the ceremony. For instance, I didn’t know that one average tree of average size absorbs enough carbon during a year as a car produces when it 26,000 miles. That’s one hardworking plant! I also received tips about how to properly plant trees to ensure longevity and healthy growth. Landscape services’ website has additional tips about maintaining a beautiful healthy yard at home. And because Ole Miss has consistently been named “Most Beautiful” campus by “The Princeton Review”, “Newsweek” and others, I am going to trust our dedicated team of landscape artists and certified arborists to give good advice.
From recycling and reusing to planting and more, the focus of Green Week has been all about being green, proving that green can indeed be “cool and friendly-like,” just as Kermit said it could be!
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