The West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (WVNLA) has been providing financial support to the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for more than 25 years, supporting students majoring in horticulture and plant sciences, and landscape architecture.
Recently, the WVNLA gave $10,000 to support student travel and class supplies for the two programs.
Sven Verlinden, program coordinator of horticulture and plant sciences and associate professor of horticulture, has had a long relationship with the WVNLA, dating back 25 years. Throughout this time, the WVNLA has been a constant source of support, providing funding for these two Davis College programs.
“The continued support to the programs lets us provide students with unique out-of-class travel and experiential learning opportunities by reducing the cost to students,” Verlinden said. “The funding allows all students access to the wonderful opportunity to travel, whether it is international or to the annual landscaping competition.”
The recent gift will go toward reducing the cost of student travel expenses for a three-week Western Europe trip that Verlinden and Peter Butler take students on, and for the National Collegiate Landscape Competition.
“Receiving funding to go on the Western European trip really benefited me. I never thought I would have gone across the world this early in my life,” said Chris Garrison, senior horticulture and plant sciences major. “As a horticulture major, it was wonderful to see so many plants and native plants in bloom and experience a landscape that is different from the United States. It was truly a life-changing experience.”
With the help of funding provided by the WVNLA, each year several Davis College students attend the National Collegiate Landscaping Competition, an event where students showcase their skills in landscaping, horticulture and irrigation.
Colin Krisulevicz, a senior horticulture major, has had the opportunity to attend the competition twice, thanks to the support from the WVNLA.
Krisulevicz’s experiences at the competition are some of the best moments in his college career. Before attending the competition, he was not as enthusiastic about landscaping as he is now, he said. By attending the competition, Krisulevicz realized how large and unique the landscaping industry is, and that it is an art form and something to be proud of.
“Simply put, without the scholarships from the WVNLA, the National Collegiate Landscaping Competition would not have happened for me,” Krisulevicz said. “Without the generous donations to our team, I could not have gone to either competition and made the memories, learned the skills and put myself out there like I did. It means a lot to me that an organization that does not even know who I am believes in giving toward an opportunity such as this.”
Butler said that he cannot say enough about the generosity the WVNLA has shown toward the horticulture and landscape architecture programs over the years.
This gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the university.
