Paige Dalto ’24, associate editor

With a passionate professor at its core, a plan to reintroduce native plants to LVC’s campus is in its early stages. 

“…Foremost, for me, this idea of creatively ‘reactivating the commons’ at LVC is about taking small steps to help address big problems mostly just by passing what we’re already doing through the intentional lenses of community, wellness and sustainability,” Dr. Robert Machado, chair of LVC’s humanities department and English program, said.

Pennsylvania is home to a multitude of Native American tribes, and LVC is adamant in its acknowledgment of the college being built on native land within the Susquehannock Tribal Nation.

Although the campus is currently decorated with vibrant flowers and plants, Machado hopes to introduce more native species, specifically those that acknowledge Pennsylvania’s native tribes. 

With the help of students and faculty across campus, Machado hopes to plant boneset, an herb traditionally believed by Native Americans to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties, near the Cuwe-Pehelle statue. The statue, which is another name for “Quittapahilla,” is meant to serve as the welcoming spirit of LVC and represent agricultural focus in the surrounding areas.

Machado hopes to work with LVC’s facilities department, the environmental club, English and creative writing, creative arts, social justice and civic engagement and environmental science students to make this possible.

“I think it’s valuable to try to find ways to bring increased visibility to the indigenous peoples on whose land we sit, and this is an exciting opportunity to do that,” Machado said. 

Additionally, according to recent reports from the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, more than half of the U.S. bird population is in decline. So, what does a decrease in bird populations have to do with bringing native plants back to LVC’s campus?

Native species benefit ecosystems as well as local wildlife, including bird populations. So, not only does this reintroduce native wildlife to LVC, but it also poses the potential to restore and protect the local feathered friends.