This year students planted the new seedlings on sunny days in early-March.

"The intent is to teach stewardship of the land and improve the local eco-system," Tipton said. "We're seeing a little gain in the soil's health from previous years of planting various types of native vegetation. After suggesting that Campus Ops allow fallen leaves to remain in forested areas on campus where they will naturally improve the soil, soil testing reveals that the ground is improving and becoming more acidic."

This year's project saw students plant more than 50 Douglas Fir and a west side variety of Ponderosa Pine seedlings in a formerly blackberry infested area of campus above the upper parking lot behind the Towers. The trees were plants Tipton's classes have been tending on campus. The pine seedlings stock was purchased with departmental funds, and the Douglas-fir seedlings are genetic offspring processed from existing campus trees by Tipton's students.