by Christopher Sanchez
Daily Lobo
Graduate student Melanie Armstrong said it takes good teamwork to plant 30,000 bulbs in one day.
"You have to have a system like the Ford assembly line," Armstrong said. "One person does this bit, one person does that bit. We've covered quite a bit of ground."
About 70 UNM students joined Armstrong in planting bulbs around Tingley Beach wetlands to help restore vegetation that was destroyed by wild fires last spring.
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A total of 30,000 bulbs were planted in the ground to restore the wetlands and to prevent future fires.
The project was headed by UNM football coach Rocky Long and was sponsored by the Alltel Angels, a community service organization formed by the Alltel Wireless company.
"We're helping recover the Bosque, the prettiest place in town," Long said.
Long said he was nervous no one would show up because of recent bad weather.
"It's an awful good turnout for having students sign up a couple of days ago," he said. "I don't think I would have signed up with all the snow."
Sharman VanLandingham, sponsorships and marketing representative of Alltel, said the company has a large market in Albuquerque and wanted to contribute to the city. "It seemed like a good fit," VanLandingham said. "We come and help the community, and we're giving back to them."
Alltel partnered with UNM because it also sponsors athletics, and there would be more working hands, she said.
Alltel provided each student who participated with a $300 gift certificate to the UNM Bookstore.
Long said the project helps the community and students.
"Students spend three or four hours of their time to beautify beautiful Albuquerque, and they get rewarded," Long said. "It's one hell of a deal."
Graduate student Holmon Wiggins said the $300 wasn't meant to be a bribe.
"I would have come out here anyway. It is a bonus, though," Wiggins said. "There are a bunch of books that need to be bought, and they are really expensive."
He said it was his first time planting.
"It's an opportunity for me to help the environment and preserve the wetlands," he said, pointing toward the swamp with his sludge-covered gloves.
The students planted sages, brushes, grasses and shrubs that don't colonize well on their own, said Jodi Hedderig, specialist for the City of Albuquerque's Open Space Division. The plants will create a diverse habitat for local animals such as coyotes, raccoons, porcupines and insects, Hedderig said.
She said there needs to be a greater effort put into the restoration of the Bosque. The Open Space Division planted about 16,000 plants at the wetlands, which took a couple of weeks, she said.
"To plant 30,000 today is a big job, but we have a lot of hands today," she said.
The small staff in the Open Space Division works on conservation projects and depends on the community for help, she said.
It might be awhile until the plants are fully grown, she said.
"It will be about two years until the area looks significantly different," she said, crossing her fingers.
Armstrong said the project was a good opportunity to spend the day in the sun.
"And have fun with people," she said.
Armstrong said she wouldn't be using the $300 certificate to buy an MP3 player at the bookstore.
"Of course I'll spend it on books," she said, laughing.
