As UNC students return to campus this upcoming week and line up to take their traditional First Day of Class sips from the Old Well, the landscaping around the iconic site will look a little different. Where hedges and bushes sat before, the land is either covered in straw or churned soil. The changes are only temporary and are part of the university’s Old Well Planting Project announced in July. UNC removed the hedges, hollies, and azaleas and will be planting native species of plants and flowers throughout the fall for a new landscaping design. In the description of the project on UNC’s Facilities Services website, the university says the change is meant to “visually reconnect the Old Well with McCorkle Place” while installing new native plants to “provide seasonal interest throughout the year.” The updated landscaping will be much lower than the prior hedges and bushes on the edge of the Old Well site, with a maximum height of around 3 feet to create a “more open atmosphere.” The...