Earth and sky
Between the annual blossoming of the cherry blossom trees and the solar eclipse, the natural world put on a show for OHIO's Athens campus this spring.
April 19, 2024
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Anyone who's familiar with — or nostalgic for — OHIO’s Athens campus knows that nothing heralds spring better than the iconic cherry trees that line an especially picturesque stretch of the Hocking River.
Every year, Athens waits for the cherry trees to blossom and tell us spring has arrived. When the flowers appear along that especially picturesque stretch of the Hocking River, the trees are greeted with all manner of visitors: picnicking families; musicians; photographers. The trees are no strangers to marriage proposals either.
This year, spring came with a kind of bonus natural phenomenon, as students, joined by President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, gathered in Pawprint Park to witness the solar eclipse. Athens wasn’t in the path of totality, but the partial eclipse was still enough of a show to impress the crowd.
A crowd gathered in Pawprint Park, where they picked up complimentary dark glasses that allowed them to observe the partial eclipse safely, found their most comfortable spot, and gazed up in wonder at the phenomenon. President Gonzalez joined the fun.
