Fall tree planting effort beautifies WLU campus
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WEST LIBERTY -- West Liberty University campus beautification got a boost this fall as 40 trees were added to the landscape.
"In total we planted about 40 trees, including American chestnuts, cottonwood, red maples, willow, bald cypress redbuds, Kentucky coffee trees, Catalpa, river birch, as well as several other species. These trees should help stabilize the soils, improve wildlife habitat, and also increase the aesthetic beauty of campus," explained James Wood, an assistant professor of biology at the university.
Trees were donated by Karen Cox of West Virginia University Agriculture Extension Office, Janelle Loh, a West Liberty geography major student, the American Chestnut Foundation, and Wood.
"It was fun to work on this tree planting project," said Loh who donated about five or six trees that she grew from seeds originally given to her by Wood.
"It was nice to return the tree seedlings back to West Liberty," she said.
A resident of Wheeling, Loh is an active gardener who takes care of the Butterfly Garden at Oglebay Institute's Schrader Center and is a former member of the Ohio County Master Gardeners group.
Five students, Jason Ake, of Martins Ferry; Talon Chambers, of Bethany; Kaleb Norris, of Wintersville; Jaden Rusnak, of Steubenville; and Arien Strachan of Nassau, the Bahamas; also volunteered their time as part of the service-project assignment for Wood's course.
The young trees were planted behind the Campbell Hall of Health Sciences in a wetlands area that features a walkway used by students, faculty and staff.
"These trees are all native to the area and the eastern US. These trees should help restore some wildlife habitat to one of our campus' wetlands," Wood said.