The Edible Landscape Initiative is to establish an orchard on ECU’s campus as a way to address and help educate people on being environmentally conscious. However, other benefits come along with having an orchard in our community. A major benefit to an accessible orchard on campus is the mental health benefits that are associated with it. A study done in spring of 2004 looked at how implementing an outdoor garden experience with their traditional academic program affected the students. The results showed that those community college students showed higher levels of self-esteem (Hoffman, Thompson, and Cruz, 2004). The participants involved in the study reported improvements in their academic work while completing the garden study. This is likely due to
the habits formed during gardening affected the work ethic of other situations, such as academic work (Hoffman, Thompson, and Cruz, 2004). Another benefit of having an orchard is the increase in the local biodiversity and improving the local pollinator habitats. A study in 2019 revealed that over 40% of insect species are at risk of being extinct over the next few decades (Sánchez-Bayo and Wyckhuys, 2019). By establishing an orchard on campus, we can establish habitats for pollinators and this can increase biodiversity at ECU. A robust and diverse system can is essential for helping preserve the insect life and prevent extinctions of various species of insects. These are just a couple of the benefits that are associated with having an orchard on campus.
Currently, our team is working with the grounds team to determine an accessible and reliable location for the orchard. We are currently looking at Stratford Arms due to the proximity to ECU and the available space. We have done some preliminary tests such as the pH and the moisture levels to see if the ground needs to be treated. From our initial observations we believe that the ground has a health pH and moisture level but we plan on conducting more in-depth test that analyzes the elements in the soil and its fertility. We are also going to look into other elements such as the ability for the soil to drain water and how the air circulates in the area to prevent systems of cold air that could damage the trees. This will help us better gauge the types of trees and plants that we can put.
Sánchez-Bayo, Francisco, and Kris A.g. Wyckhuys. “Worldwide Decline of the Entomofauna: A Review of Its Drivers.” Biological Conservation, vol. 232, 2019, pp. 8–27., doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.01.020.
Hoffman, August J., Dawn Thompson, and Arlene Cruz. "Gardening, Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem." The Community College Enterprise, vol. 10, no. 1, 2004, pp. 91-101. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/docview/218800068?accountid=10639.
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