BRAZOS COUNTY, TX — Earth Day gives us a chance to take a step back and appreciate mother nature.
The Gardens at Texas A&M exudes appreciation and history.
There's a tree in the Gardens that's more than 100 years older than the first Earth Day observed back in 1970.
That tree is a post oak, nicknamed 'Ol' Sarge. It stands mighty tall and strong in The Gardens behind the Vegetable Garden.
"I was really interested in the century tree on the main campus, but I did not know there were like historical long-living trees here on the west campus," Allison Love, undergrad student, Texas A&M said.
Ol' Sarge is about 200 years old- making it about 60 years older than the university.
"The Earth has been here for a long time and so have the trees. If trees could talk," Allison Love, undergrad student, Texas A&M said.
"It's a wonderful teaching tool. We're able to link students to history. We're able to link them to the environment," Dr. Mike Arnold, director, The Gardens at Texas A&M said.
It's not the only unique tree at the Gardens.
There is a seedling that came from the famous Montezuma Cypress in Mexico that is more than one thousand years old.
A moon tree also grew from a seed that was cloned after making a trip through space.
"It's been to the moon and back and it shows what we can do through stem technology and education, and we are happy to have that reminder in the garden," Arnold said.
These trees help produce oxygen, buffer rainwater runoff, and the entire Gardens have provided a mental health sanctuary during the pandemic.
"We've found that the gardens have been an oasis for people to come and recharge their batteries," Arnold said.
As people have stopped and smelled the roses during the pandemic, it's helped people breathe in fresher air.
"With people staying home more, I am you're reducing all the problems associated with commuting and things like that so, yes. I'm sure it's made a significant difference in what our pollution levels are," Arnold said.
The Gardens at Texas A&M is open from dusk until dawn daily.
“LIKE” 25 NEWS KRHD ON FACEBOOK FOR ALL THE LATEST BRAZOS VALLEY STORIES!