Megan Reed, Campus Carrier News Editor
Berry has received the 2013 Tree Campus USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to forest and tree management.
In order to qualify for the program, colleges must meet five standards by maintaining a tree advisory committee and tree care plan, setting an annual budget for a campus tree program, observing Arbor Day and providing students with the opportunity to participate in a service learning project involving forest and tree management.
Applications for the 2013 recognition are still being approved, and all schools must reapply each year, Tree Campus USA program manager Mary Sweeney said.
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| Photo contributed by Public Relations The Arbor Day Foundation recently rewarded Berry with the Tree Campus USA recognition, which honors college for committing to maintain forests and trees on campus. Students who worked on the grounds crew last year, including Megan Boswell and Aubrie Worsham (above), were taught about tree health and maintenance. |
In 2012, 192 schools were recognized by the program, which is a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota, Sweeney said.
Eddie Elsberry, Berry’s director of environmental compliance and sustainability, said Berry applied for the program in the fall and was notified last month that the application had been approved.
Berry’s forests have been a priority since Berry’s founding, Elsberry said.
“Martha Berry was an advocate of tree planting and tree care and many of the first graduating classes planted memorial trees, which are still shading campus today,” Elsberry said.
Elsberry said the goal of Berry’s tree management plan is for “campus to be as beautiful and environmentally rich 100 years from now as it is today.”
“For us, this (plan) is planting new trees, pruning and feeding older trees and making sure all trees are healthy and safe,” Elsberry said.
Elsberry said Berry’s trees are part of the campus’ beauty, and receiving the Tree Campus USA recognition is an acknowledgement of the work that has been invested into the trees on campus.
“The campus has always been recognized for its beauty, and the canopy of large monarch trees overhead are a major component of that beauty,” Elsberry said. “Becoming a Tree Campus USA recognizes the vision and hard work many have had in sustaining this legacy for the future.”
Junior Jared Betts, who serves on Berry’s tree advisory committee, said the committee discusses where trees should be planted on campus and manages the budget for tree planting.
Elsberry said students have been heavily involved in Berry’s application for the program and that students have learned how to take care of trees through their student work experience with the grounds crew.
“Two years ago, a tree care crew of about 10 students was formed in the grounds department of the physical plant,” Elsberry said. “Many of these students now have over a year of experience in all facets of the care of trees, including germinating new trees from the seeds of mature specimens on campus, planting new trees and feeding and pruning older trees.”
Elsberry said he believes students’ investment in the sustainability of Berry’s campus is what sets Berry apart from other schools.
“The heavy involvement of students in the process makes Berry unique, again, from other colleges and universities that pursue or achieve Tree Campus USA recognition,” Elsberry said. “It is a fantastic opportunity for students to have an impact on their immediate environment.”