Purdue named Tree Campus USA for fourth year in a row

Purdue has been named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the fourth year in a row.

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.

Purdue achieved the title by meeting the five standards outlined by the Arbor Day Foundation: maintaining a tree advisory committee, using a campus tree care plan, dedicating annual expenditures toward trees, holding an Arbor Day observance and organizing student service-learning projects.

Many of the standards listed above also help to further the existing Purdue Arboretum, which currently spans the approximately 2,600 acres that make up the West Lafayette main campus and consists of more than 800 unique types of trees and other woody plants.

"Recognition for the hard work put forth by our staff is always appreciated, and we will continue to strive toward increasing the total number and diversity of trees on our campus," says Gary Evans, director of Grounds.

The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota have helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested $23 million in campus forest management last year. More information about the program is available at www.arborday.org/treecampususa.