TVA donates $50,000 to help Ole Miss restore campus trees

The Tennessee Valley Authority is donating $50,000 to the University of Mississippi to help restore trees lost on the Oxford campus in Winter Storm Fern, the university said Wednesday. Ole Miss estimates about 11% of the campus tree canopy was lost in the days-long ice storm that blanketed North Mississippi.

David Mitchell, TVA’s program manager for environmental stewardship and sustainability, said the donation is intended to “help accelerate the replanting of trees lost during the storm, restore the beauty and ecological benefits of the university’s landscape, and create a more resilient urban forest that can better withstand future weather events.”

Ole Miss said a healthy tree canopy is more than an aesthetic feature. In a statement the university said trees provide shade that helps moderate temperatures, improve air quality, reduce stormwater runoff and create habitat for wildlife, and they contribute to the character of the campus by offering outdoor spaces where students can gather and study.

Nathan Lazinsky, director of the Department of Landscape Services at Ole Miss, said TVA’s gift will allow the university to replace trees on a much greater scale than originally planned. “We are sincerely grateful for TVA’s partnership and generosity in helping restore one of the university’s most valuable natural assets,” Lazinsky said.

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