Community connections between Randolph-Macon College and the Town of Ashland have always been strong, and they continue to flourish. RMC Biology Professor Nicholas Ruppel knows this firsthand: He recently formed a partnership with the Hanover Arts and Activities Center (HAAC) in Ashland.

As a result, students in Ruppel’s honors course, Our Green Allies, designed and installed three new garden beds for the HAAC. The beds maximize seasonal flower color, support pollinators, and make the HAAC a more inviting location for community events.

Green Allies
Throughout the semester, Ruppel’s students have been exploring the connections that humans have with plants. The garden project gave them the opportunity to work in teams, experiment with design ideas, and meet community members.

Several weeks ago, Ruppel’s students took measurements at the HAAC and then headed to a lab in RMC’s Macon F. Brock, Jr. Hall to work in groups and sketch garden designs. They also submitted a plant list to Ruppel. On September 26, 2018, they installed and planted the garden beds.

Nathan Moon ’22 says deciding which plants to install required a lot of consideration.

“It’s easy to focus on aesthetics, but you have to remember that plants are living and have their own set of needs,” says Moon. “It was challenging for our group to find the balance between beauty and practicality—but the most rewarding part of this project was the sense of accomplishment we had when we saw the finished garden. It was a lot of work, but it is something that we can all be proud of.”

Perennial Partnerships
Alexandra Crawford is president of HAAC’s Board of Directors, which is comprised of 20 members, including several RMC staff, faculty and alumni.

“The project started out of a conversation I had with RMC Religious Studies Professor Tim Brown, about how we could beautify our green space,” says Crawford. “Tim introduced me to Nick Ruppel, and the three of us met to discuss logistics.”

One goal of the project is to draw attention to the Center’s sign along South Center Street so that passersby can enjoy the green space and read about the history of the nearly 160-year-old HAAC building. “Through this effort, and hopefully many more in the future, we are providing enrichment opportunities for the Ashland and RMC communities,” says Crawford.

Sara Holloway, executive director of the HAAC, says, “We hope this partnership will encourage students to become more aware of the history of our town, our building, and the crucial role that RMC has had in shaping Ashland.”

Generous Donation
All of the plants and border stones for the project were donated by Colesville Nursery in Ashland. Kate Leffler, whose parents started Colesville Nursery 40 years ago, is general manager and vice president of the company, which has supported RMC and the HAAC for many years.

“When the organizations came together on this project it just made sense to participate in donating toward the cause,” she says. “Colesville strives to make our community a better place and to help the organizations in it. Projects like this one excite us because we work closely with schools and colleges to show the importance of why horticulture is important for sustainability.”

A Thriving Environment
Gaby Tersigni ’19 (business major; English minor) loved digging in the dirt.

“I was excited to put on my gardening boots and gloves,” she says. “The HAAC representatives were great to work with because they shared the history behind the HAAC and the Town of Ashland. We didn’t know that the building is over a hundred years old! And Colesville Nursery was amazing; we could not have done it without them.”

Tersigni says the most significant thing she has learned thus far in Ruppel’s class is the importance of native plants.

“They have been evolving in this area for many years,” she explains. “Native plants attract critical pollinators in the area, allowing the environment to thrive.”