On April 25, 2024, the Beeson International Center hosted a first-ever celebration for Arbor Day on the Kentucky campus. The warm spring weather complemented this inaugural event’s vision of celebrating God’s creation and educating others about the importance of creation care.
Joel Calicott and Andy McFarland, groundskeeper and landscaper for the Facilities department respectively, shared an informative lunch presentation and Q&A session in Cordelia about planting and caring for trees. Participants were invited to try their hand at tree care by the provision of 200 free tree seedlings and various vegetable transplants. Offering this direct means of practicing creation care and environmental sustainability was a major highlight of the day’s festivities. In addition, the Beeson Center offered a raffle of Arbor Day-related prizes, including free books and an overnight stay at a tree house settled deep in nature near Mammoth Cave National Park.
Following the lunch events, Calicott and McFarland led a tour of the trees on our Kentucky Campus, offering valuable insights into their ecological significance. The tour allowed attendees to not only learn more about trees they see daily but also provided an opportunity to slow down and admire God’s creation.
Before the event was complete, attendees were invited to a leisurely activity in the form of an axe-throwing station on campus. This allowed attendees to embrace their inner lumberjack by hurling axes toward a wooden target in friendly competition.
The inaugural Arbor Day celebration at Asbury Theological Seminary’s Kentucky campus marks a hopeful new tradition of recognizing our role in education about nature and a commitment to care for the world we are called to cultivate. By doing so, the Beeson Center hopes we can further see God’s work and presence in the nature around us.