by Cheyenne Schoen |
Last January, The Purple Post, a student-run class project blog, reported that the Student Led Unity Garden (“SLUG” for short), would “dump the garden for good” after chemistry professor Raymond Bard retired from his post as the club’s adviser.
Christie Assistant Hall Director Nathan Widdicombe caught word of the garden’s dismal fate last winter.
“Someone told me that the garden wasn’t a thing anymore, so I started sleuthing,” Widdicombe said.
Widdicombe, along with Mike Wode and Tyler Hale, Corrado and Haggerty and Tyson Hall Directors respectively, decided to take the garden into their own hands. Widdicombe estimates he has put 50-60 hours of work into the garden since April. Student volunteers followed suit. This Sunday, over 30 students showed up to exercise their green thumbs in the SLUG.
“When we came out here for a work day in April, it was so overgrown that it took five of us an hour to get one bed cleared of weeds,” Widdicombe said.
Over the summer, a dozen students watered and nurtured the garden, which was instrumental in keeping it alive during the hot days.
Junior Gabriel Wihtol started helping out with SLUG a year ago. “None of this existed before [this spring],” Wihtol said, pointing to the ripening tomatoes and
bright purple cabbage. “Everything was overgrown with grass. I started this patch of cabbage and I’m loving it. If something were to happen to it, I’d be devastated.”
Other produce includes tomato, cucumber, zucchini, artichoke, asparagus and soft herbs, just to name a few. SLUG also harvests an orchard of pear, apple and plum trees next to the veggie garden.
Physical Plant has teamed up with SLUG to maintain the land, which boasts an incredible view of the Willamette River.
“Our whole goal in partnering with P-Plant is to keep this a beautiful place that everyone can enjoy,” Hale said.
With the combined efforts of new students and staff, SLUG looks forward to a fruitful future.
Freshman Theresa Valdez, who has grown up gardening on a ranch, looks forward to refining her skills.
“I want to learn the native versus invasive species, so that I know what to weed,” Valdez said.
Wode likes to see student leaders get involved in the garden. “I didn’t want to see it go away. No fear, though. We are up and running, have a lot of support from Physical Plant, and are excited about it.”
For more information on SLUG, visit their Facebook page or email SLUGproject@gmail.com.
Cheyenne is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at schoen17@up.edu.
