Located in the heart of the Southland, the Valdosta State University campus reflects the natural beauty of the surrounding area. The landscaped grounds and manicured lawns are a source of pride to both the university and the townspeople. The abundance and variety of trees, including tall pines, palms and oaks, provide a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere for college activities. This expectation for beauty, though, does not come without a price. The demand for aesthetically pleasing campuses puts pressure on the ground's maintenance department to deliver beautiful landscapes and perfect lawns, regardless of the consequences.
Most fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphorous, two elements that are essential to life.
Nitrogen is important in the formation of chlorophyll, and thus responsible for the green in lawns and plants. Likewise, phosphorous plays an important role in providing for the plant s source of energy. The situation becomes an environmental concern when the chemicals not absorbed by the plants are washed away from the top soil with rain or water from sprinklers. They then enter the ground water or runoff into nearby streams. Poisons from herbicides and pesticides enter the water systems in the same way, contaminating the ground water and streams with pollutants.