Flowers laid out in areas around campus such as this as volunteers and students spread out into groups to plant the campus in lovely colors of red and white. Photo by Isabella Morman | The All State.
When an E3 tornado ripped its way across the Austin Peay State University campus in 1999, no one imagined that a longhand tradition would become a result.
On Thursday, APSU brought volunteers together to brighten the campus with Plant the Campus Red, an event of triumph, since the infamous storm that took years for the campus to fully recover from.
“It is beautifying the campus after the 1999 tornado since there was a lot of damage to the area,” said master gardner, Betty Cole.
Lines this year were flooded as student-athletes such as softball and football players came out, as well as a hefty amount of the student body.
Plant the Campus Red checks all the boxes for being Tree Campus USA with the Arbor Day Foundation. Trees planted that day were provided through the arboretum.
Not only does this event beautify the campus but it also promotes the ability for a more diverse ecosystem.
Trees, shrubs, and other flora allow for the creation of an ecosystem that benefits everyone.
“This is great, it brings more planting to help the pollinators, we need more pollinators like bees,” said Cole.
Flowers were planted in shades of red and white, the colors of the campus, displaying not only APSU pride but the hard work and dedication of each person in attendance.
