{"id":3990,"date":"2026-02-24T20:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/?p=3990"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:02:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:02:26","slug":"purdue-earns-17th-consecutive-tree-campus-usa-recognition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/blog\/2026\/02\/24\/purdue-earns-17th-consecutive-tree-campus-usa-recognition\/","title":{"rendered":"Purdue earns 17th consecutive Tree Campus USA recognition"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Purdue University has earned the Tree Campus USA recognition for the 17th consecutive year, reinforcing the university\u2019s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and strategic campus planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purdue\u2019s campus is home to 14,097 trees, representing 516 varieties and cultivars and reflecting a diverse, resilient urban forest. With an average tree diameter of 8.7 inches, the campus canopy reflects a balanced age distribution, preserving heritage trees while investing in the next generation of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of Purdue\u2019s Administrative Operations organization, the Grounds department approaches tree management as both an environmental responsibility and a critical asset management function. In 2025, 730 trees were appraised across 26 projects, representing a total appraised value of $5.8 million. This data-driven approach ensures that campus development decisions carefully consider the financial, environmental and community value of the university\u2019s urban forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administrative Operations integrates technology and long-term planning into daily operations. Through collaboration with the Purdue Arboretum and the Horticulture Department, Grounds maintains a GIS-based tree inventory system that enables real-time tracking, condition assessments and proactive maintenance. Routine inspections, pruning and plant health care strategies extend tree life, mitigate risk and protect campus infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis recognition reflects the dedication of our Grounds team and the strong partnerships that make this work possible,\u201d said Phil Richey, director of Grounds. \u201cManaging more than 14,000 trees requires strategic planning, proactive maintenance and a long-term investment mindset. We are committed to preserving Purdue\u2019s landscape while supporting the university\u2019s growth and development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community engagement also remains central to these efforts. Arbor Day 2025 included the planting of 30 trees at Lynn Hall, made possible through collaboration with Purdue for Life and campus volunteers. During Green Week, additional volunteers supported campus tree health by spreading 70 cubic yards of mulch at Horticulture Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grounds is part of Administrative Operations, which supports the university by delivering safe, reliable and transformative services. The 17th consecutive Tree Campus USA recognition underscores Purdue\u2019s leadership in urban forest management and reflects the dedication of Administrative Operations teams who power Purdue every day.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue University has earned the Tree Campus USA recognition for the 17th consecutive year, reinforcing the university\u2019s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and strategic campus planning. Purdue\u2019s campus is home to 14,097 trees, representing 516 varieties and cultivars and reflecting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,49],"tags":[17],"location":[],"class_list":["post-3990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-and-community","category-operations","tag-campus-and-community"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-17 03:52:19","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3990"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4042,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3990\/revisions\/4042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3990"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/operations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=3990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}