Photo courtesy Mike Lewis / Public Relations
(From left to right) Horticulture students Devon Wilson, Tim Hawkins and Richard Hancock pose with their new equipment with donator Barry Richardson and faculty members Byron John and Reese Nelson.

Horticulture students receive generous donation

Alumnus presents equipment to school

Megan Ransom RAN04008@BYUI.EDU Campus Asst. Editor

You see their work, but you don’t see them. They can’t sign their work; they do it with little recognition.

When Elder L. Tom Perry visited the BYU-Idaho campus Jan. 24 to speak at devotional, he complimented the gardens and the grounds.

Who maintains these complimented gardens? The horticulture students.

These students just received a donation from ValleyCrest Companies. The donation included a 14-foot trailer, backpack blower, sprayer, long-handled shears, weed trimmers and pruners.

“It’s a very generous donation. That’s a lot of money to fork out from one company to one school,” said Tim Hawkins, a junior from Spokane, Wash.

Barry Richardson, a former student, was invited to give a presentation at the weekly horticulture seminar. During the seminar he presented the school with the equipment.

“This donation will elevate BYU-Idaho’s Landscape Management Program to new heights by allowing students to use the exact equipment and gain the same experience that one of the green industry’s leaders provide,” said Reese Nelson, a faculty member in the Horticulture Department.

One of the reasons for this donation is ValleyCrest’s interest in education and belief it will help a lot with the Landscape Maintenance class, Richardson said.

“It will definitely get used throughout the school,” said Devon Wilson, a junior from Santa Cruz, Calif.

The horticulture program has been blossoming during the past few years, said Byron John, a faculty member in the Horticulture Department.

Student Career Days is an annual horticulture competition. This year it was hosted by BYU. BYU took first place in the competition and BYU-I placed second. Victor Eggleston, a senior from Portland, Ore., was recognized as a Superstar in the competition, according to www.landcarenetwork.org.

ValleyCrest paid attention to that, Richardson said. A personal reason Richardson came to campus was to testify of the fulfilling of a prophecy.

“They will have the power to innovate and improve without requiring more of what money can buy. Those graduates of BYU-Idaho will become — and this is a prophesy that I am prepared to make and make solemnly — those graduates of BYU-Idaho will become legendary for their capacity to build the people around them and to add value wherever they serve,” said Elder Henry B. Eyring in a speech at BYU-I Sept. 18, 2001.

Elder Eyring also spoke of the frugality of the graduates from this university.

“I’ve seen that. I’ve seen where that has happened. I’ve seen where I’ve been able to do that, and not just me, but our interns as well. They’ve been able to do more for less and really help the industry,” Richardson said.