Northern Illinois University - Norther Yearbook (DeKalb, IL)

Page 32 text:

an attempt to build a new ecosystem When the sun rose in the east, spreading rays over the Northern campus, more than 400 students, faculty and DeKalb residents were gathered to greet the davvn and bee gin the planting of the new Eco Park. The crovvd vvas armed vvith shovels, buckets, vvater and more than 1,200 trees of a variety of species. Everyone vvas ready to plant Aspen, Spruce, Pine, Cran- berry, Red Oaks, Maple and shrubs. i iss Q 'Y s W J is xii 'N x All

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'N .mu if Ya Zi, sg-1' , in .V ,,:y.t3fj,,.., .V M' ' L? fp ,- SY 55.-+ M1' I 1: N? fe-f f'f11 -f i, . pw , -1 mania- ' A., .-W- t. .M M. A, :CA-M2Tf 5 ' ilgg W, If .., W W -M t,,...,,..,..,,g, -.W..,...::3f- ,ij , - l...,....., if .wff 'gm fm -qw .1I2i3f A ff- ff Left: Paul Ehrlich Bottom Left: Dick Gregory Bottom Right: Senator George lVIcGovern

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The planting ceremonies were held on Arbor Day, April 30, 1971. The trees were planted on the edge of a cornfield in the shelter belt, a narrow strip in a 30-acre site north of Stevenson South. The shelter belt is an outer pe- riphery of trees which will provide a buffer to help cut the wind along the road bordering the park. The purchasing of the trees was funded by the class of 1971 and the Ecological Park Fund initiated by the NIU foundation. An additional 200 trees, which failed to arrive on time for the first planting, were planted on Nlay 9. The Arbor Day plant-in was organ- ized by the Campus Environmental Committee iCECl, headed by Dr. David Piatak. A sub-committee was appointed by President Smith after he saw that both students and the general public were angered by the destruction of Montgomery Arboretum. Since the Plant-in, CEC members have been watering and pruning the plants as often as possible. The fight this summer against heat, a dry spell, and hungry rabbits at the park was not an easy job. Because of the condition of the trees at planting, and the late plant- ing for some of the species, about 202 of the trees did not survive. The park's fate was sitting on un- balanced scales. When Pres. Smith proposed the park, he assumed