The University is a Tree Campus USA for the fourth year in a row, the Arbor Day Foundation has announced. Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals.
The University’s Horticulture and Grounds Department achieved the 2013 Tree Campus USA title by meeting the program’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects. “I am truly grateful for the support of the administration, students, our advisory committee, and the efforts of our dedicated staff, contractors, and consultants that make it possible for the University to maintain our Tree Campus USA status,” said Dan Schied, manager of Horticulture and Grounds.
The Arbor Day Foundation and program founder and supporter Toyota have helped campuses throughout the country plant hundreds of thousands of trees through Tree Campus USA, and colleges and universities invested $23 million in campus forest management last year.
“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for all of us.”
To view a tree map of the University’s River Campus, visit http://www.facilities.rochester.edu/arboretum/photos/map.pdf.