In its 11 years of existence, Replant will take place for the first time in the fall semester Saturday, as opposed to its typical spring date.
“It’s a better time for the trees,” Allison Rosen, director of Replant and a senior biomedical science major, said. “There is more rain right now, and there will be students available to check on their [the tree’s] progress.”
Last year, students and members of the community planted 1,110 seedlings and 300 trees all donated by the National Tree Trust. This year, volunteers will be repotting seedlings and planting 270 to 300 trees, Rosen said.
Planting sites this semester include Travis Field and Winchester Park. Both are located in Bryan.
Replant is known as one of the largest, student-run environmental service projects in the nation, Rosen said.
“Because it rained last year, we only had around 1,000 participants. I’m excited because this year we should have around 2,200.”
Replant will begin with the first kick-off starting at 8 a.m. at the Polo Fields.
“We will be having two kickoffs, one at eight and one at 11,” Rosen said. “There, volunteers will meet and listen to guest speakers. Afterward, they (participants) will receive their assignments and head out.”
Many students associate Replant with Bonfire, but there is no connection, Rosen said.
“We want to be known as an environmental outreach program. We want to better the environment and the community through this service project,” Rosen said.
Though Bonfire and Replant are not officially connected, Sarah Biggerstaff, the Replant organizer for Davis-Gary, said Replant is a way to give back to the Bryan-College Station community.
“We took so much from the community with Bonfire, it’s only right to give some back,” said Biggerstaff, a junior biology major.
For first time participant, Sharissa Johns, a junior construction science major, said having Replant in the spring fits better in her schedule.
“I was unable to participate last year because of scheduling conflicts,” Johns said. “Replant is a good outreach project for our community. It’s a good tradition, and I’m excited about it.”
Rosen said the Replant committee has not yet decided if they are going to host a spring Replant.
“It depends on how well we do this Saturday,” she said.