Native Beauty Focus of Arboretum

The dawning of the spring season has produced an abundance of floral aesthetics and a multitude of tasks for the Arboretum's staff.

"The Arboretum is a riot of color right now," said curator Andrea Presler. "It's a great display."

Coker Arboretum is part of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens and was originally founded in 1903 as an outdoor classroom.

Presler said that the focus of the facility is to promote horticultural diversity and that its planting often deviates from traditional landscaping.

"One thing few students understand is that it is not a park, but rather a scientific collection of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants that are included primarily for education," she said.

But senior Molly Edwards, a student volunteer at the Arboretum, said such a focus on native plants is what drew her to donate her time to the Arboretum after visiting it for a biology class.

She also said the presence of domestic horticulture serves an educational purpose, especially as increased construction threatens to destroy such native growth.

"It's important for students and members of the community to know about what naturally grows in the area," Edwards said. "It's important to know what you're losing."

Presler said caring for all the Arboretum's growth becomes a very busy job in the spring for her small staff, which is composed of an assistant curator, two work-study students and student and community volunteers.

"It's hard right now because there's so much happening at once," she said.

Junior Will Thomas, one of the arboretum's work-study students, said the abundance of tasks will probably prevent the staff from eliminating English ivy, a foreign plant that has invasively grown over native flora.

"There's stuff we started and can't finish because of the spring rush," he said.

"We're trying to get rid of the ivy, but I think it's doubtful we'll complete the project."

Presler said recent budget cuts to the Arboretum have forced her to rely heavily on volunteers throughout the year. "Typically I could hire some staff for the summer, but this year I can't do that," she said.

Current staff members said they are now at work weeding, planting, pruning and transplanting Arboretum growth, along with keeping the pathways clean.

Presler said the presence of the Arboretum at UNC is growing increasingly important with the current development of campus.

"With all the heavy construction on campus, we're losing those green nooks that people need to improve the quality of their life," she said.

"It comes down to offering people a place where they can find solace."

The University Desk can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.