ATHENS, Ohio - Susan Calhoun, long-time landscape coordinator for the Ohio University Groundskeeping Department, has maintained the campus’ beauty for decades.
What You Need To Know
- Susan Calhoun has been working the grounds of Ohio University for decades
- She helps maintain the campus’ Japanese Yoshino cherry trees
- The Japanese Yoshino cherry trees were gifted by the Chubu University of Technology in 1979
- The university accepted 175 trees in 1979, one for each year the university had been opened
“This is my 35th year, and I was an undergrad as well, so been on this campus since 1979,” said Calhoun.
Her arrival co-indices with one of the university’s prized possessions, the Japanese Yoshino cherry trees.
“It’s maybe a little different every year. Some years, we last a little longer if the temperatures are cool. It actually protects and prolongs the bloom. If we can get two weeks out of this bloom, that’s just ideal,” says Calhoun.
The Chubu University of Technology in Japan gifted Ohio University 175 trees in 1979 as a tribute to how many years the university had existed.
Currently, OU has 218 cherry trees across campus near the Hocking River.
“The aesthetics, really important. I think it kind of is a statement that your exterior looks good and well cared for and that might be the way that students are received and treated in their time here,” said Calhoun.
Calhoun, a Norwalk native, said while there are no plans to retire yet, she hopes to pass along her skills and Bobcat pride to the next generation
“I’m always teaching biology in the process, sustainable practices. So, as these students come through, I think that working for the grounds department is a good experience. University has committed those kind of resources to taking good care of this grove, and I hope it continues,” says Calhoun.
Calhoun and coworkers have also kept busy over the years removing damaged trees because of cold snaps. A polar vortex hit the campus in 2014, causing many trees to be replaced.