AU hosted the 30th annual Campus Beautification Day—part of the university’s perennial commitment to sustainability, green space, and community—on April 11–12.
 
Under sunny skies, 327 staff, faculty, and student volunteers got their green thumbs dirty, planting 12 trees and more than 5,000 shrubs and perennials and spreading 300 cubic yards of mulch across main campus, WCL, and other locations. 
 
“We push our guys to be selfless and to do things for others beyond our program, and we want to do our part to keep the community flourishing,” said wrestler and graduate student Patrick Ryan, SPA/BA ’22, one of more than 100 student-athletes who pitched in with spring cleanup. “We take great pride and joy in our campus and are happy to help it look even better.” 
 
During the festivities, Roberta Corletta, an urban forester with the District Department of Transportation, presented AU with the Tree Campus USA designation for the 13th consecutive year. President Sylvia Burwell also dedicated a willow oak tree on the quad near SPA’s Kerwin Hall to mark the 20th anniversary of the AU Arboretum and Gardens. “As that oak tree grows,” she said, “it’s going to be a witness to new generations of changemakers.”