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Tennessee Tech’s Biology Department will host a Native Plant Rescue Event Saturday to help relocate the university’s garden by Johnson Hall.
Biology Professor Shawn Krosnick said the event will involve volunteers digging up native plants within the garden so the department can relocate them to a new location. Krosnick said due to the upcoming Johnson Hall renovations the garden needs to be moved.
“They have plans to rearrange the entrance of the building to in the middle of the garden,” Krosnick said. “So that is going to destroy at least one of our beds that’s the Music Woodland Habitat where we have some established trees so it’s a bummer that this is happening.”
Krosnik said volunteers who help dig up plants will be allowed to take some of the plants home. Krosnik said a location to move the garden has not been determined. In the meantime, plants will be transported to Tennessee Tech’s Shipley Farm.
“We are really just waiting to meet with Tennessee Capital Projects and Planning Director Jim Cobb and make the final decision of the best location,” Krosnick said. “We thought we had a good location but then once the facilities were kind of more aware of the details and the layout, it was going to be too small.”
Krosnick said currently they are looking at possibly moving the garden to the east side of campus. Krosnick said the garden is very important to many different departments on campus.
“The biology department we use it for several different classes,” Krosnick said. “And the art department also uses it for a life drawing. The other thing is just students across campus because of its central location they spend a lot of time there because it is a nice place to sit.”
Krosnick said the new location will have to have enough space for a new greenhouse that the department is receiving as the current greenhouse is in poor condition and would not withstand being moved. Krosnick said they are going to make the best of a tough situation.
The event will take place Saturday from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
