OXFORD — A recent grant from the Mississippi Forestry Commission will help replace trees lost at the University of Mississippi due to recent storms, including those damaged during the January ice storm.
Although 95% of trees survived the historic winter storm, many were damaged and may need to be replaced. The grant will help fund the planting of 29 new trees across the Ole Miss campus, said Sophie Kline, arborist and superintendent of Department of Landscape Services.
“Tree care matters because, one, we want to make sure that everybody is safe,” she said. “If a tree is a liability, that’s a safety issue. But also, because people have always associated the Grove with its trees. This campus is not just a concrete slab; it’s an ecosystem.
“Think of people sitting in the shade. Think of the food the squirrels eat. Think of the aesthetic purposes, of oxygen. There are all these somewhat intangible services that trees provide that people don’t think of on a regular basis. That is a part of the culture here.”
The Landscape Services team commonly plants 300 or more trees – including trees that need to be replaced each year, but that number will increase in the coming year, said Nathan Lazinsky, the department’s director.
The department provides year-round care for more than 6,500 trees on campus. It uses TreePlotter, a tree mapping service, to track and tag all inventoried trees. The website is open to the public, meaning fans of the Grove, Circle or campus in general can keep track of favorite trees from afar or take a walking tree tour on campus.
Keeping trees thriving in urban areas can be difficult. All year long, the department’s team can be found pruning, monitoring wind or storm damage, looking for insect infestations and aerating the soil around trees.
Some of the new trees will replace those lost to storms or other damage, whereas a few will be used to “green screen” power cables or machinery from public view.
Most trees will be replaced with the same species, although in some instances a more finicky water oak may be replaced by a sturdier willow oak or a similar trade.
“Something we have to think about is not just the aesthetics, but the long-term health of the trees,” Kline said. “Because we’re planting for people that will be here when I’m long gone, we want to give them the best shot they can have.”
