Recap of Bennett College’s 150th Anniversary
By: Victor Greene
In November, Bennett College hosted a tree planting event where over 195 trees were planted by the people in the Greensboro community. Volunteers from all over Greensboro participated in this family-friendly event including toddlers, teens, and grandparents, as well as students from Bennett, A&T, UNCG & Guilford College. Alumni were also in attendance including NC Senator Gladys A. Robinson.
This event brought unity to the community, as everyone gathered to enjoy good music, meet new people, and share laughs. It provided attendees an opportunity to practice patience, the opportunity to collaborate with one another, and an opportunity to learn how to plan trees.
All the volunteers were split into groups where they were taught how to dig, put soil around the tree, and then plant the tree. On that day Bennett College celebrated their 150th anniversary and they celebrated it in a very impactful way.
The tree planting event not only taught the history of Bennett College but also allowed nearly 200 volunteers to experience this new chapter in the rebirth of Bennett’s legacy. Every tree was planted in a specific location on campus to follow through with the landscaping plan. This landscaping plan, that dates back more than 80 years, was acted to restore and revitalize this historic landmark in Greensboro. Charles Gillette was the landscape architect who created a unique concept for the plan that was not a popular choice in 1938. Flowering and ornamental trees were highly favored, but Gillette elected to go with native trees. His plan was visionary because in the year 2024, – the White Oak, Willow Oak, Sugar Maple, and Southern Magnolia are native trees that have been planted and now symbolize Bennett College’s campus grounds.
Participating in an event like this prompts a lot of questions. The most common one is: Why is planting trees on a college campus important? Planting trees provides help and protection from numerous things. Planting trees significantly improves air quality, helps reduce rates of asthma and provides shade to block out severe heat waves. Trees can positively affect mental health; just from walking by a tree it can boost your immune system because of the fresh air you breathe. When storms occur, trees reduce stormwater runoff through the canopy. The canopy stores and captures rainfall and then releases the water in the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. More trees are being planted will contribute to a better sustained environment.
