L to R: Henry Heglund; Melissa Heglund; Sylvia Heglund; Sarah Behrens; Lacie Hines; Ketmani Kouanchao; Allyssa Joseph; Eric Bieberdorf; Nicholle Bieberdorf; Aaron Bieberdorf

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a group of Northwest Technical College employees and their families gathered to donate their time and talents to improve landscaping on the college’s east side.

Nicholle Bieberdorf, NTC’s dean of academic programs, coordinated the event.

“The gardens at NTC have experienced some overgrowth, and the staff working here this summer have noticed that we have beautiful flowers that can’t be seen,” she said. “We are proud employees and want the students who come to school here and the faculty and staff who work here to be as proud of the outside of our campus as they are of the inside.”

Bieberdorf said the list of projects included weeding a large central garden, trimming bushes and trees, replacing all mulch on the building’s east side.

In addition, she said a planter surrounding NTC’s monument sign on the north side of the building and new annuals were planted.

“The weeds have been removed and we have annual plants in our school colors under the NTC sign now,” she said.

Melissa Heglund, director of NTC’s Student Success Center, said the work would help NTC “put its best foot forward” as the college looks forward to the start of its fall semester.

“We have a lot coming up here in the next couple of weeks,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot of families and students on our campus with Welcome Day and the start of our next academic semester.”

Bieberdorf said the employees who volunteered their time also donated the new mulch that was installed on the college’s east side, and employees and their families also brought their own tools.

NTC’s fall semester begins August 21, with its annual fall Welcome Day for new students set for August 18.