Campus Beautification (cont.)
The College has extended the post and chain fencing along Campus Drive (the road that runs in front of the Alfond Athletic Center to the intersection with Washington Street). The fencing will prevent cars from parking on the lawn and will allow the grass to grow almost to the pavement and greatly reduce the unsightly ragged bare areas. This matches fencing already installed near the football field and other areas, such as the walkway in front of Dana Hall, and ties in with the master plan to give the campus a unified look. |
 Lower limbs and top branches were trimmed from several of the ornamental crabapples. The trimmed trees have a lighter and airier look and better reveal the architectural details of their settings. |
Unfortunately, the huge cedars and junipers in back of Pierce Hall had to be removed last summer. After so many years, their continuous shade and moisture caused deterioration of the basement window frames and fostered the growth of mold. The College was also concerned that dense growth so close to a dormitory entrance and to basement windows could pose a security risk to students. The area will be reseeded with grass and a stone drip edge is being installed around the building’s foundation. |
 Mature trees in full leaf conceal all the dead wood removal that must be done to keep the trees healthy. Effective tree maintenance requires more work hours than the Colby grounds crew itself can schedule. This year, an outside contractor with a crew of five workers with their own bucket truck was hired to work three full days to assist the Colby employees.
The Colby grounds crew processes all the trimmed wood into mulch that is used around trees and planting beds and on the hiking trails in the Arboretum. | |
