UVM has been honored with a 2013 Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by Toyota to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging faculty, staff and students in conservation goals. UVM achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include 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.

“The Tree Campus USA designation shows the university's commitment to the planting and maintenance of trees that provide not only an aesthetic function, but also serve as an educational resource for classes and, more importantly, as a means of helping the environment by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere," says Rosemarie Leland, director of UVM grounds. “Reducing carbon dioxide is a vital step towards slowing climate change."

UVM’s committee includes Mark Starrett, associate professor of horticulture in the Plant and Soil Science Department; Rosemarie Leland, director of UVM grounds; Warren Spinner, Burlington city arborist; and Peter Roach, a senior in the Rubenstein School. Elise Schadler, Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program community involvement coordinator, has also served on the committee, and senior Sylvia Kinosian joins the group this semester as the the UVM Tree Campus intern, a position funded through a U.S. Forest Service grant.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” says John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”

PUBLISHED

02-04-2014
University Communications