For the fourth straight year, Illinois State University has earned the designation as a Tree Campus USA.
Tree Campus USA is a national program that honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy management of their campus forests and for engaging the community in environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation and is supported by a grant from Toyota North America.
“Such an accomplishment serves to highlight our ongoing dedication and hard work toward providing not only quality tree care, but also outreach programs and awareness campaigns, as stewards to our campus and community,” said Illinois State Superintendent of Grounds Kevin L. Colombe.
He also added the designation is part of a larger commitment of Illinois State “toward fostering the principles of urban forestry, where form, function, safety and overall aesthetic are concerned for all of our patrons of the campus as well as our beloved Fell Arboretum.”
In order to receive the honor, Illinois State met the five core standards of tree care and community engagement in order to receive Tree Campus USA status. The standards are: establish a campus tree advisory committee, offer evidence of a campus tree-care plan, give verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan, provide involvement in an Arbor Day observance and the institute a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.
Mary Widhelm of the Arbor Day Foundation noted Illinois State’s “entire campus community should be proud of this sustained commitment to environmental stewardship” and that “the diligence in improving the environment and quality of life at Illinois State University contributes to a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.”
The Arbor Day Foundation launched Tree Campus USA in the fall of 2008 by planting trees at nine college campuses throughout the United States.
More information about the Tree Campus USA program is available at ArborDay.org.
