SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 19, 2022 – In honor of Arbor Day and Drury University’s annual No Impact Week, the Student Government Association will host a tree planting ceremony outside Stone Chapel this Friday, April 22 from 3-5 p.m. Springfield Mayor Ken McClure will issue a special Arbor Day proclamation. There will also be live music from local band The Phrogs and special guest Missouri Department of Conservation forester, Jon Skinner. The public is invited to bring a blanket to sit in the grass and enjoy activities and giveaways from student organization Think Green.
“We will plant a Yoshino Cherry tree on the southeast side of Stone Chapel; the same space where a different tree once stood,” said Jeremi Maffei, director of facilities and operations. “The addition will help beautify the space and serve as an accent for the church. We will also take a moment to thank Brendan Maxwell with Maxwell Lawn and Landscaping, and his team for their dedication and hard work taking care of our campus.”
This year No Impact Week spans April 18 through April 23 and incorporates several other events around campus and the community, including a Midtown trash clean up and an invasive species removal at Valley Water Mill Park.
“One of the primary goals of Drury’s SGA is to continually pursue sustainable practices on our campus,” said Emilee Harless, SGA vice president institutional affairs. “This year’s events aim to encourage green living among our students, pride in our community and celebrate the exciting sustainable accomplishments happening at Drury.”
The week also includes the Missouri Humanities Council’s fifth annual Humanities Symposium, hosted in partnership with Drury’s Humanities and Ethics Center. This year’s theme is “Humanities & Food: Sustenance and Sustainability in Our Communities,” and will focus on the ways sustainable and local food growing and sharing build community, heal the earth and sustain connection and collaboration. Discussions will feature topics such as historic food utopias in America, agriculture and economic growth and the ways that regional identities are embedded in the practices of creating sustenance for the community. The symposium is open to the public and will take place on Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21. For more information or to register, you can visit the Missouri Humanities Council website.
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Media Contact: Jasmine Bailey, Director of University Communications and Media Relations – (417) 873-7390 or JBailey012@drury.edu.
