May 1, 2019
Earth Week featured 10 years of Tree Campus USA recognition
Grounds staff and student volunteers worked together to plant Appalachian Redbud trees following the brief Tree Campus USA presentation. (Photo provided)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — At Purdue’s annual Earth Week/Arbor Day volunteer tree planting event Thursday (April 25) on the West Lafayette campus, representatives accepted the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA award on behalf of the university for the 10th consecutive year.
Brian Boszor, environmental review biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, spoke at the brief presentation near University Hall on Thursday and highlighted the importance of trees in urban communities such as Purdue. In addition to providing environmental benefits including clean air and water, habitat for fish and wildlife, and temperature and flood control, trees also increase property values and mental health and decrease crime rates. Boszor said, “Purdue has been an outstanding steward of healthy trees in the community, and earning the Tree Campus USA award for the past 10 years is a tremendous accomplishment.”
In order to be recognized as a Tree Campus, colleges and universities must meet the following five core standards that promote tree health and student involvement:
- Maintain a tree advisory committee.
- Create a campus tree care plan.
- Dedicate annual expenditures for its campus tree program.
- Hold an Arbor Day observance.
- Provide a student service-learning project.
Purdue’s grounds and sustainability departments collaborate with the campus arboretum to continually meet the Tree Campus USA requirements. In addition to creating a tree care plan, designated staff implement it throughout the year by performing required landscape maintenance, including the removal of unhealthy trees and the planting of new ones.
“We take great strides to plant more trees than we remove over the course of the year, and we enjoy getting students involved in spring and fall plantings,” said Ryan Gallagher, senior director of Facilities Operations. “They can watch the tree they helped plant grow over the course of their time on campus, and even beyond, with a sense of pride.”
Grounds staff assisted student volunteers with planting several Appalachian Redbud trees during Earth Week. Since Purdue first became a Tree Campus, more than 750 students have volunteered to plant nearly 200 trees on campus during these events. In total, the West Lafayette campus is home to more than 11,000 trees of more than 400 different varieties.
“I sincerely appreciate all of the people in the campus community who recognize the value of trees, particularly all of the wonderful, mature specimens throughout our campus landscape,” said Paul Siciliano, director of the Purdue Arboretum and professor of horticulture and landscape architecture. “Their efforts to preserve these trees and to plant new ones will certainly be appreciated by future generations.”
Media Contact: Jim Bush, 754-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu