Howard University students and staff got their hands dirty in honor of Earth Day.
With smiles on their faces, dozens of volunteers helped plant trees and clean up debris around the university. The campus beautification event began at 8:45 a.m. at the Undergraduate Library.
Howard University has recently increased its commitment to practicing energy conservation, according to the school. Practices such as recycling and turning off all electrical appliances on campus -- when not in use -- are efforts, the school says, to reduce their carbon footprint.
The executive vice president and chief operating officer of Howard University, Troy Stovall, said the initiative is the beginning of an important shift in the way the university treats the world.
