Arbor Day celebration to recognize 2016 Tree Campus USA distinction
Students, faculty members, staff and visitors to the U. of I. campus can grab a shovel and help plant one of five new trees Friday, April 28, on National Arbor Day.
The university’s Arbor Day Celebration Ceremony will highlight the many positive effects trees make in our lives, including providing species habitat, removing and storing carbon while releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, reducing stress levels and promoting an active lifestyle.
The celebration is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the McFarland Carillon, east of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall on the South Quad. Speakers include Associate Chancellor Mike DeLorenzo, Interim Executive Director of Facilities and Services Helen Coleman and Campus Landscape Architect Brent Lewis. Activities include tree-related trivia games and prizes, as well as the reading of an official Arbor Day proclamation.
The event is sponsored by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment and Facilities and Services.
The Arbor Day Foundation honored the campus in 2016 with a second consecutive Tree Campus USA recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management. The following initiatives are a part of the university’s current tree care efforts:
Removing more than 120 declining ash trees on campus property the last two years due to the presence of the emerald ash borer. Growing the Woody Perennial Polyculture Research Site for the study of ecological systems designed to promote plants more practical for human use. Updating the campus tree inventory and establishing procedures for the regular upkeep of that catalog. Clearing invasive species from the south Arboretum woods and making an interactive app featuring educational information about the trees of the Arboretum, as part of a service learning project.
Tree Campus USA is a national program created by the Arbor Day Foundation to acknowledge colleges and universities for successful campus forest management initiatives and engaging staff and students in conservation goals.
The 2016 Illinois Tree Campus plan is available online.
