UofL recognized as a Tree Campus for the 13th consecutive year
On March 10, 2023, the University of Louisville was honored with 2022 Tree Campus Higher Educationrecognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. This marks the 13th consecutive year that UofL has been recognized for on-going investments in protecting, expanding, diversifying, and learning from our urban forest.
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. Its Tree Campus Higher Education program began in 2008 to encourage colleges and universities to plant trees on their campuses.
Trees on campus and in urban spaces can lower energy costs by providing shade cover, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students and faculty. In addition, trees improve students' mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for studying and gathering.
"Trees not only play a vital role in the environment but also in our daily lives,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Having trees on college and university campuses is a great way to show a commitment to students and faculty’s overall wellbeing.”
The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. UofL achieved the distinction by meeting Tree Campus Higher Education’s five standards, including maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently, there are 411 campuses across the United States with this recognition.
Upon learning the news, Justin Mog, UofL's Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, proclaimed, "Congratulations to everyone on our Grounds Crew and serving on our Campus Tree Advisory Committee for helping UofL achieve recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation for the 13th consecutive year!"
Plans are being developed for UofL's 2023 Arbor Day events later this spring in collaboration with UofL's NAACP Collegiate Chapter and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority on Belknap Campus and, at the Health Sciences Center, with the S.M.A.R.T. program and a memorial tree planting for Sarah McKinney from Pediatrics - that event will be held on Friday, April 21st from 11:30am-1pm at the Clinical & Translational Research building at Hancock and Muhammad Ali.
