Eight hundred Aggies ran to the rescue of the cry of go green by participating in the environmental giveback event called Replant on Saturday.
Replant is a student-run organization that coordinates a one-day event for students to volunteer to help replant trees in the B-CS area. Students could sign up as groups or as individuals. Around 76 organizations, which translated into about 800 people, signed up to take part
in the event.
Replant has been around for quite a long time. Back in 1990, Scott Hantman, the chair of the Environmental Issues Committee, organized the first Replant in an effort to offset the effects of cutting down trees for
Aggie Bonfire.
We had a lot of problems this year with our trees, unfortunately, said Andrea Fonseca, senior horticulture major and president of Replant. So on top of the quality control, we teach people the right way to plant a tree. Scorching from travel was a problem with our trees as well. Of course, the trees will recover with the proper care.
Leaders of each organization that sign up for Replant are required to go to one of the three informationals held the week before Replant takes place. They are given all the information for Saturday: they are taught safety, given a map of their site and told where their site will be, how much time they have to get to the site and watch a video on how to plant a tree.
Fonseca said the goal of Replant for this year was to have fun and give back to the community.
Our goal is to bring Aggies together, have fun, learn about the environment and go out to give back to the community.
The staff of Replant, aware of the changing environment, took precautions to give the trees the best chance to survive. Fonseca said smaller trees were planted this year to give the trees a better chance of survival because of the recent drought.
At each site, one of the Replant staff gave tips on how to take care of the trees. Replant also partnered up with KBB (Keep Brazos Beautiful), who donated informational packets pertaining to the care of the trees.
Sophomore international studies major, Lidia Gregg said Replants focus is to inform people about the environment and assist in improving the situation. Replant partnered with Habitat for Humanity and planted trees at one of their sites.
Most of Replants funds to plant the trees and organize this event come from fundraising, grants and funding from Student Government Association.
Texas A&M students environmental giveback for the Bryan-College Station area made a large impact for everyone involved, the planters, the ones who received the trees and of course, the environment. Replant is looking to the future, continuing to fundraise and plan for next years event.
We have this goal to inform people about Replant, said Gregg. People compare us to Big Event all the time, but we are not Big Event. We are an environmental committee dedicated to providing environmental awareness.