WASHINGTON — American University’s arboretum and gardens not only made it the 4th prettiest urban campus in the nation, according to one website, but has also served as a promotional piece to potential students and faculty.
Throughout campus, there are 75 different species of trees, including the Franklin tree at McCabe Hall, the white oak at the president’s office building and the Maidenhair tree overlooking Jacobs Field and in the amphitheater. It also includes 10 gardens, which are surrounded by a mixture of perennials, ornamental grasses and shrubs. The location of the plants and trees in the arboretum are selected based on soil, drainage and view.
Many of the trees and plants display a sign to tell the observer the formal and common name of the plant, where it originates and if it has a donor. There are many benches underneath these trees and beside the gardens for those who want to sit and enjoy their surroundings.
Some parts of the arboretum, such as the area next to the amphitheater, are certified wildlife habitats because that property provides food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young.
The arboretum and gardens have been apart of the university’s campus for 18 years, and provide educational opportunities. Some parents thought that the gardens showed that the university would take care of their children, Landscape Architect Michael Mastrota said.
“It’s good for publicity,” Mastrota said. “Having a pretty campus attracts students and faculty.”
The landscape has also brought alumni back to the community and become a fundraising tool. The landscapiing allows students and professors to take class outside, as well.
Juan Ruis, who has been working for the gardens for 10 years, agrees with Mastrota that the landscape attracts students. Students come back after graduation to see what’s new, he said.
Ruis began his job as summer help and has been working here ever since. During the summer, he weeds, edges the trees and waters the gardens. Even if it is in the upper 90s, Ruis is out working to make the campus uphold its standing on Kelsey Fox’s “The 50 Most Beautiful Urban College Campuses.”
And Chris Mooney’s article, “Why green spaces are good for your kid’s brain,” published recently in The Washington Post, reported that students showed improvement in testing when exposed to more greenery than the average.
Students improved, on average, “in working memory, higher order ‘superior working memory’ and attentiveness…it was the greenness of the commute and especially the school that made all the difference.”
To make the entire campus attractive, Mastrota not only works on the gardens, but the parking, walkways and light bulbs as well. The addition of the arboretum and gardens to the university’s campus attracted TV and news publicity, Mastrota said.
“I think it represents a good face for the university and community,” he said.