Volunteers Beautified Campus Oct. 3

Rocky Mount, N.C.—More than 50 volunteers from the North Carolina Wesleyan College community, plus members of the Rocky Mount High School Key Club, the Rocky Mount Kiwanis Club and others refurbished the landscape at the college’s main entrance on Saturday, October 3.

The planting effort focused on trees and shrubs and was the first phase of a project that will continue on Saturday, October 10, when volunteers will plant annual and perennial flowers to add color. To sign up to help, contact Biology Professor Erica Kosal at ekosal@ncwc.edu or 252-985-5156. Work will begin at 10 a.m. and last until the flowers are planted, with volunteers of all ages helping as they can. Volunteers should bring their own gardening tools marked with their name. Refreshments will be provided.

Plans to beautify the campus began last summer when a task force chaired by Professor Kosal identified areas that needed attention. The group decided to focus first on the college entrance along Highway 301, the median leading into the campus, and the fountain area.

“The goal is to add visual interest as people come to campus,” Kosal said. “As they drive through the main entrance, the campus should be inviting, exciting and warm. We hope students, faculty and staff will begin to use the benches around the fountain and enjoy the colors that will be present on the plants throughout the year.”

Tom Moss, a local landscape architect, designed a plan that incorporates 166 new trees, including crepe myrtles and various hollies, and 24 shrubs. The project calls for benches to be added to the fountain area in addition to landscaping. Also mulch will be spread beneath trees in parking lot islands.

“We want to improve the visual impression of our campus with flowers and landscaping and eventually some additional outdoor social areas,” said Wesleyan President James A. Gray III. “We have a beautiful 200-acre campus, but it’s very green, with a lot of pine trees and grass. We need some landscaping and color, especially around the entrance to the college and our fountain area.

“We’re proud of our academic programs, our renovated science labs, and our new library addition, so now we want our campus to look the part of the top-quality school that it is,” Gray said.

Gallery: Volunteers Beautified Campus Oct. 3