Purdue to celebrate Arbor Day
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University will celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting at 12:30 p.m. Friday (April 30) at the northwest corner of Smith Hall.
Purdue's first Arbor Day celebration comes in the wake of the university recently being designated as a Tree Campus USA, an honor that recognizes the size, scope, diversity and maintenance of Purdue's 8,000-tree arboretum that spans the entire campus.
The new horse chestnut tree being planted will replace a horse chestnut on Memorial Mall that was beloved by generations of tree climbers until it was lost to old age and storm damage in 2009. The State Street location was selected because it is highly visible and provides enough room for the tree to grow and thrive. A horse chestnut can grow taller than 100 feet with widely spreading branches.
To maintain its Tree Campus USA status, Purdue is required to annually sponsor an Arbor Day celebration.
"Arbor Day celebrates all of the benefits trees give to us," said Purdue arborist Tim Detzner. "They're beautiful, they clean our air and water, and they provide us shade."
Purdue's grounds department plants trees on Earth Day and/or during Green Week. Each new construction project on campus also typically includes new tree plantings. Replacement tree plantings are systematically conducted campus-wide each spring and fall.
The Purdue Arboretum project began late in 2008 with the goal of recreating the Purdue campus as a living laboratory to enhance learning and discovery. The Purdue Arboretum serves the people of Indiana by providing a broad collection of plants, gardens, art works, walking trails and green spaces that can be used and appreciated by visitors.
"Long-term success of the arboretum will depend on significant involvement of faculty, staff and students from across the campus, as well as individuals, community groups and private organizations both locally and beyond," Purdue grounds director Gary Evans said.
Purdue began planting its arboretum almost as soon as the university was founded in 1869. In the early 1900s, Horticulture Park was established on the west side of campus under the direction of Purdue's Department of Horticulture.
"Purdue’s location on the rich, glacial soils near the banks of the Wabash River within northern Indiana's hardwoods forest region provides a unique setting to promote the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Indiana," Detzner said.
Student leaders from Purdue Boiler Green Initiative will be part of the tree planting ceremony.
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Gary Evans, 765-494-0139, gkevans@purdue.edu
Tim Detzner, 765-494-3100, tdetzner@purdue.edu
Purdue University Building & Grounds