Ericka McGhee 4/22/26 - Landscaping around Campus (free choice)

 Christopher Newport's campus is one of the prettiest I've been on. Our landscapers work very hard to keep it beautiful. One of the main things I've seen around campus is the flowers scattered throughout. These flowers make such a huge difference not just aesthetically, but in how they impact the space around us. While they add a pop of color, they also play a huge role in air purification and in feeding animals and insects. These flowers help keep our air clean through photosynthesis. They also help prevent erosion by keeping our soil intact and holding it in place with their roots. Another major impact the flowers have is providing habitats for birds and squirrels. They allow them to have a safe place to nest and provide them with protection from predators. These flowers also provided food for bees, allowing them to keep pollinating other plants around campus, keeping more of our plants healthy. They also provide biodiversity and carbon storage, which helps with climate change. This is very important right now because our planet is facing problems with gas emissions, which cause more problems within the environment. Flowers, along with other types of plants, are a huge factor in keeping our air clean, supporting ecosystems, and the reproduction of plants. These flowers play an essential role, not just keeping our campus pretty, but also keeping our earth clean.

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