Covering the Canopy

By Jessica Johns Pool

Despite all the campus construction that will take place over the next few years, one thing will stay the same: the number of trees on campus. In fact, the campus will have more trees than before as well as more total trunk girth as more mature trees are planted.

“We will have no net loss of trees,” affirmed Barbara White Bryson, associate vice president for Facilities, Engineering and Planning. “One of the distinguishing features of the Rice campus is the presence of more than 4,000 trees of various species, many planted nearly 100 years ago. It is important to us to preserve as much of this natural endowment as possible.”

Fulfillment of this commitment requires positioning buildings to preserve and protect as many existing trees as possible, moving some trees and planting new ones to replace those that are impossible to save. Director of sustainability Richard Johnson, grounds superintendent Ron Smith and university architect David Rodd are collaborating with project managers on this effort. Each potentially impacted tree is assessed by an urban forester, Stephen Anderson. The teams also consult with members of the Lynn Lowrey Arboretum Committee, which includes faculty from Rice’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, to determine opportunities to plant trees native to Texas as well as the traditional live oaks. While the live oak symbolizes Rice to many, the presence of other species will increase biodiversity in the tree canopy on campus.