Horticulture Students and Iowa Nursery and Landscape Companies Work Together to Honor 9/11

Posted on Sep 19, 2016 in Events

The 2016 Iowa Nursery & Landscape Association (INLA) Day of Service was held on September 13 at the Iowa Arboretum in Madrid, IA. Annually INLA holds a Day of Service at a location in Iowa to remember the events of 9/11/2001 and to ask INLA members to volunteer to give back in the community. Over 30 volunteers participated in the 2016 Day of Service. Horticulture students from Des Moines Area Community College and Kirkwood Community College participated along with the INLA member companies and board of directors.

The 2016 Day of Service was postponed from its original date of September 7 due to weather concerns. The new date proved to be great weather in Madrid and perfect for the Day of Service. Volunteers began working on the three project sites at the Arboretum at 9 a.m. after a short introduction and program. Work continued throughout the morning until lunch. BBQ lunch and beverages was provided on site for volunteers by the INLA planning committee. The students also participated in an informative and light-hearted scavenger hunt prepared for them by Dr. Jeffery Iles, with the department of horticulture at Iowa State University.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Projects at the Iowa Arboretum included; landscaping the main entrance sign, with limestone outcroppings, plants, paver edging and mulch, creating a flagstone pathway and center piece connecting the new one room school house and children’s garden, and Landscaping the school house, complete with proper rain garden for drainage, period appropriate plants, and mulch.

HISTORY:

The Day of Service locations are selected by the INLA Day of Service Planning Committee and have varied from the Kirkwood campus in Cedar Rapids, IA, the ISU campus in Ames, IA to a site on Iowa government ground surrounding the State Capitol. The Iowa Arboretum was the fifth location in Iowa to be selected since its inception in 2012.

The INLA board of directors and the 2016 planning committee would like to extend a tremendous thank you to all of our volunteers and students that made our 2016 INLA Day of Service such a success!

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WATCH WHO-TV NEWS COVERAGE OF EVENT BY THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT:

Jim Mason an adjunct instructor at DMACC in commercial horticulture says the in service days lets students interact with fellow students from other colleges, other horticultural professionals like those at the Iowa Arboretum, as well as other professionals that are a part of the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association. [WATCH VIDEO HERE]

About the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association:

Founded in 1921, the Iowa Nursery and Landscape  Landscape Association, please go to https://iowanla.org/.

About the Iowa Arboretum:Association strives to promote the horticulture industry through its membership of growers, landscapers, brokers, and retail garden centers.  For more information about the Iowa Nursery and

The purpose of the Iowa Arboretum is to be an inspiring educational and recreational resource demonstrating the value and use of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in the landscape to all Iowans. Learn more at http://iowaarboretum.org/.