Video Gallery

video test

Students help plant 76 new trees on campus

Seventy six trees were planted this past week during 13th annual recognition of Arbor Day, part of an effort that has helped replace 1,642 trees that were lost in the devastating December 2007 ice storm.

The primary event occurred on Wednesday, April 1, and more than 1,000 students, faculty and staff attended to help plant the trees. They gathered first at David A. Burr Park to hear comments from OU President David L. Boren, then spread to various parts of campus where trees were lying next to pre-dug holes that had been filled with loose dirt, which was then loosened, again, by students and the trees were planted.

It has been a long process, Boren said, but the campus is close to fully repairing the damage caused by that ice storm. "I don't think any of us will ever forget...what we woke up to," he said. "It was like a bomb destroyed our campus."

Also recognized by OU during Boren's comments were fraternities and sororities who did an exemplary job maintaining their "adopted" areas on campus.