Thursday’s warm weather proved perfect for members of the University of Windsor Outdoors Club, who helped to plant four trees on the green space along Sunset Avenue south of University Avenue.

“We just want to get more involved with the campus,” said the group’s vice-president, second-year business student Zak Nantais. “This is our campus — we should help beautify it.”

About 10 club members gathered to take direction from Facility Services gardeners Aaron Dickau, Kevin Kosempel, and Lin Li on how to ensure a long life for the trees, which were donated by the City of Windsor.

“I have never planted a tree before. It was a really cool experience,” said Megan Simon, a second-year business major. “To know we’ll be able to come back in the future and see something we did together is really inspiring.”

Grounds supervisor Garry Moore said that having students take an active role will help to cultivate a feeling of responsibility for the campus: “We should all be treating this place like our own home.”

The plantings are situated on space opened up by the removal of several houses that had been used as offices. A Kentucky coffee tree, native to the Carolinian forest, and three Callery pears will grace the site.

“We wanted to put the trees in the best location,” Moore said. “These pear trees produce clusters of white blossoms. When they’re in flower, people will be able to see them from a long way off.”