Time and time again I hear students complain that there’s nothing to do in Statesboro. It is my mission this year to prove those students wrong, and I will start by talking about the Garden of the Coastal Plains, Georgia Southern’s Botanical Garden.

The Garden of the Coastal Plains, which is located on campus, is free for students to visit. It is home to many nature trails and also offers picnic tables and plenty of grassy areas for students to sit and relax or work on their homework.

“The Garden is a great place to get away from the everyday craziness,” Carolyn Altman, director of the garden, said.

The Botanical Garden is a popular meeting spot for students working in group projects, and it will soon offer WiFi. Altman has a vision that one day the garden could even sell coffee and cookies to visitors.

“It’s such a pretty place. It’s a nice place to relax, and it would be a great place for a picnic or a date,” Kellya Guajardo, sophomore early childhood education major, said.

Altman could not express enough that The Garden is an awesome resource for students. She has photography students and research students take advantage of The Garden and encourages others to do so. Altman also mentions that The Garden is great place for students to collect their Christmas gifts for the holidays. They offer a variety of poinsettias and other plants available for purchase every year at Christmas.

They host a plant sale every year in the spring, and they offer a “Lunch and Learn” during the week for only $20. The Garden also gives students many volunteer opportunities. Students can help out with the Children’s Garden, wine and beer tastings, and many other events and festivals hosted by The Garden. “We could not do what we do without the help of the students,” says Altman.

The Garden of the Coastal Plains is hosting a free event for students on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.. There will be a festival in The Garden with live music, drinks, and some open mic time for any students that are interested in playing an instrument, singing, reciting poetry, etc. The first 100 students to come to the event will receive a “dorm friendly” plant (meaning you can’t kill it… let’s hope). Students will also have the opportunity to pot their own plants at this event as well.

“Come on out to The Garden,” says Altman. “We have so much to offer students. Just take the time to get outside, look around, and be in nature. Make it part of your experience here.”