Cultivating a campus full of green

Every day thousands of students, faculty and visitors walk, run, bike and even stroll through the IU campus. Rich with tradition and aesthetic beauty, IU\'s campus has been critically acclaimed for decades.\nIn 1991 Thomas Gaines compiled a list of 100 campuses and evaluated them for urban space, the quality of architecture, landscaping and overall visual and physical appeal. IU was fifth on the list only after Stanford, Princeton, Wellsley and Colorado universities.\nIU Vice President Terry Clapacs knows the importance of keeping the University's campus beauty up to its historical standard.\n"We spend a lot of time thinking about the character and tradition of IU's campus," Clapacs said. "Our goal is to always uphold the standards that the students, faculty, staff and public have come to hold us to."\nBut IU's campus has not always looked the way it does today. \nAccording to Clapacs, when the land for Dunn Woods was acquired for $40,000 in 1883 from Moses F. Dunn, it was all farmland. Throughout the course of history the campus has traditionally spread north and west, encompassing various acreage from Bloomington estates and the Dunn family. The areas that are now seen as dense greenery and towering trees were once open fields with sparsely placed trees and shrubs. \nA large labor of love\nToday the IU campus spans more than 2,000 acres, with a crew of 35-45 groundskeepers concentrating on a central 300 acres that have become one of IU's many claims to fame. Clapacs said the groundskeeping crews of the past consisted of around 60 people. With such a dramatic decrease in manpower, covering a large amount of acreage makes for a rather difficult task.\nDave Hurst, manager of the Campus Division of Groundskeeping, acknowledges the difficulty and hard work that goes into the maintainence of the Bloomington campus.\n"Every year we change and plant flowers three separate times," he said. "In the early fall, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 mums are planted. With late fall comes the planting of tulip bulbs."\nBut the job of an IU campus groundskeeper does not stop there. \nMowing, trimming and the general upkeep of the campus are spring through fall activities. With the winter season comes the obvious threat of snow and ice, and for the IU groundskeepers, a headache.\n"Snow removal is the least fun part of the job," Hurst said."We just try to cope."\nSnow is not the only headache for IU groundskeepers. Since the campus is densely populated with towering trees and lush vegetation, fallen leaves pose a definite problem.\n"We spend all winter trying to get leaves up," Hurst said. "There are many areas that we cannot access until Christmas and spring break."\nBut even though the work can be strenuous and trying at times, groundskeepers such as Bill Thomas enjoy the work they do.\n"The most rewarding part of my job is just getting to be outside," Thomas said.\nA unifying beauty\nSometimes for the greater good, a new building must be erected in order to make room for more classrooms and research facilities. But the task in designing that building is not taken lightly. \nAccording to Clapacs, one of the main things that makes IU so unique is the consistency of the building and landscaping.\nThere has been a general conformity throughout time of the buildings and the landscaping that surrounds those buildings. This is done to make the visual appearance and feel of IU as pleasing as possible, since, as Hurst put it, "the beauty of IU is, in a many cases, why students choose to come here."\nIU business major Mike Zuckerman, a senior, said IU's landscape was a big part of his choice to attend.\n"When I came to visit this school, the visual appearance was definitely one of the determining factors in my decision to come here," Zuckerman said. "Comparing it to other universities the beauty was far superior."\nAdministrators say they recognize the trend and have come to adopt the principle that when a person's surroundings are pleasant and enjoyable to be in, they work harder. \n"There is a strong tie between academic excellence and aesthetic quality of the surroundings," Clapacs said. "The students perform better, the faculty want to be here and new students want to come here."\nNature untouched\nIn an effort to further protect the rich tradition of beauty and prestige of specific parts of the campus, some areas -- now referred to as "green areas" -- are protected by University policy. These areas consist of Dunn Woods, Arboretum Center, Woodlawn Field, Bryan House grounds and Dunn Meadow.\nAccording to the Indiana University Policies Web site, the sites deemed green areas "shall be protected from activities that would alter their essential character." The site says "restricted activities include encroachment by new construction of facilities or site development except where necessary for health, safety, maintenance, or governmental compliance."\nClapacs also said that the Dunn Cemetery, which last saw a burial in 1986, is also a landmark that cannot be moved or groomed in any way by the University. Along with Beck Chapel, which during the summer can see up to eight weddings per day, this area is one of the many points of interest for campus visits and tours.\nEco-education\nBut the landscaping of IU's campus is not preserved merely for its beauty, said IU\'s Director of Media Relations Susan Dillman.\n"There are areas on campus such as Griffy Woods and some areas near Bradford Woods that were recently dedicated and set aside as a teaching preserve," Dillman said. \nAccording to Clapacs, these areas are available to the science departments for research, projects and the heightening of the learning process.\nThe serene beauty of IU is both a valuable classroom for hands-on learning and a relaxing retreat for students, faculty and the public. Overall there has been a tremendous effort by administrations of the past and present to maintain the honor and prestige of the IU surroundings. Herman B Wells, former President and Chancellor of IU, made a great deal of effort in preserving the beauty and tradition of the campus, said Dave Hurst.\n"One of Dr. Wells' many legacies was the preservation of the beauty of the campus," he said. "It makes people happy, and that makes us happy."\nEditor's note: This story was first published in the summer of 2001.