Dedication ceremonies are scheduled in September for two new enhancements to Northern’s campus landscape: the Paul L. Lang Jr. Memorial Garden and the bronze Wildcat statue. Both projects were made possible through the generous support of private donors.
The perennial flower memorial garden was established through a lead gift from Mona Lang of Marquette to honor her late husband and NMU’s former provost. It will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, just west of Jamrich Hall.
A stately bronze Wildcat will become a focal point on campus this fall. It is likely to serve as a popular photo location for students and visitors. The statue is made possible through a gift from the estate of former NMU Board of Trustees chair and longtime NMU supporter Gil Ziegler (’60 BS). His two daughters will attend the dedication, scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, near Jamrich Hall.
“We solicited artists who specialize in statues like this and selected Hanlon Sculpture Studio out of New Jersey,” said Jim Thams, director of Facilities-Campus Planning, in a Northern Magazine story. “The cast-bronze Wildcat statue will be 12 feet long, nose to tail, and 4-5 feet high. It will be installed on top of a boulder with a hardscape patio surrounding it. The location of the statue and adjacent contemplative garden will create a nice gateway to the academic mall.”
The contemplative garden will feature a pathway to a series of benches framed by trees and shrubs. An anonymous donor who supported that project also supported the planting of about 180 trees and multiple perennial flower gardens scattered through the heart of campus. The Hiawatha Music Co-op donated 40 trees to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its traditional music festival, which attracts many Northern students, alumni and faculty and staff members. Volunteers planted the trees on campus May 13.
University funds supported a new irrigation system for the new plantings. It pumps water from a well near Lee Hall to the academic mall.
All of these projects represent NMU’s continuing effort to transform the landscape to promote outdoor activity, quiet reflection and an appreciation for natural beauty. They also align with campus sustainability initiatives that support the university’s core value related to the environment.