A student joined the town’s Greenway, Parks & Garden Committee Tuesday night for the September meeting.

Sophomore political science major Albert Lindsey was nominated and accepted to the committee last Thursday night at the Town Council Meeting.

Mayor Loretta Clawson told council Thursday that Lindsey came to her and interviewed her about being on the committee.

Lindsey said he chose the town’s Greenway, Parks & Garden Committee because to him, nature is an important part of Boone.

“With development and buildings going up, we’re going to lose the foliage and the trees,” Lindsey said.

One of Lindsey’s main goals on this committee is to protect Boone, especially from urban development, since people come to Boone to be with nature, he said.

“The Greenway was built for that,” Lindsey said. “You can have this garden of Eden in the middle of town.”

Lindsey said he also wants to have doggy bags available on the Greenway.

When Lindsey came to the university in 2010, there weren’t as many people, he said.

The number of students riding the buses and the number of cars has increased, he said.

“With the influx of people, you’re going to have to work with that so it doesn’t actually explode and we lose Boone as we know it,” Lindsey said.

If students don’t realize that Boone is “its own little world, then it’s going to be lost,” Lindsey said.

“I think the committee is really trying to get students in touch with nature,” he said.

Council member Allan Scherlen, who is also on the Greenway, Parks & Garden Committee, said he’s glad to have Lindsey on the board.

“It’s good to have a student on there,” Scherlen said. “The student can bring the perspective of our 16,000 plus members of the community, which use the Greenway extensively.”

Scherlen said Lindsey can provide perspective on ways the town can be better utilizing the Greenway.

“This should just be the beginning,” Scherlen said. “We need to get other students to apply for other committees.”

Positions are open on the Tree Board, Board of Adjustments, Bicycle Plan Steering Committee, Affordable Housing Task Force and Community Appearance Commission, Scherlen said.

Story by: KELLI STRAKA, News Reporter