AN ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE GREEN SPACE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS: THE CREATION OF THE MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY ARBORETUM

College campuses are finite locations that must accommodate many uses including academic buildings, parking, and student housing to name a few. Often lost in the construction of these facilities is the preservation of green space. Here we describe an effort we are currently undertaking to preserve a relatively young two acre stand of woods at the Mercyhurst University campus in Erie, PA The purpose of this project is to create an arboretum that will serve as an area for quiet reflection and outdoor education, as well as a location that will preserve and protect native plant and tree species of western PA. The woods were originally preserved as a backyard wilderness habitat by the Sisters of Mercy (the founders of the university), but has recently fallen into an unmanaged state and has been slowly cut into during the school’s expansion of student housing. Hence, our initial work has included delineating the boundaries of the woods, identifying stake holders who border the property, and determining previous land uses and modifications; completing these tasks are critical for moving forward with any subsequent modifications to the woods – changes made to the woods will likely impact surrounding properties and be influenced by previous land use. We have also begun identifying and labeling tree and plant species, marking trails, and categorizing educational uses of various parts of the woods. Additional work has included working with the PA DCNR and creating a community organization group to obtain input and volunteers to sustain preservation of these woods. Future work will involve maintaining trails with woodchips (likely using branches cleared from the forest), eliminating invasive species, planting additional native species, and continual monitoring of health of the woods. Many future activities will be integrated into service learning projects for Mercyhurst students – such integration will help sustain future preservation of these woods. Although we have only taken the initial steps in preserving this green space, we have encountered tremendous support from the campus and community at large and believe that continuing along this path will lead to the successful creation of a long-standing campus arboretum. We hope that our initial success can serve as a model for the preservation of green spaces on other college campuses.