The Arboretum at ASU was nationally recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a tree-friendly campus earlier this month.
The Arboretum oversees the planting and maintenance of many of the trees on ASU’s four campuses and was recognized as part of the foundation’s Tree Campus USA program.
Jennifer Boettcher, program manager for the foundation, said ASU was one of the first nine campuses to meet the standards of the program.
“We require five standards be met to be considered for Tree Campus USA,” Boettcher said. “ASU was one of the first to meet those standards, and we now have 50 universities across the country in the process of becoming part of the program.”
Each campus must have a care plan for the trees on its campus, a service-learning project, an Arbor Day observance, a budget of their trees and a tree advisory committee, Boettcher said. She said that ASU met each standard without question.
“Being part of Tree Campus USA is important for campuses these days,” Boettcher said. “It’s a statement that shows that you care about the environment. Trees make a campus more inviting to perspective students, and it’s good for Arizona because they give people a place to get out of the sun.”
For ASU’s Arbor Day observance in 2008, the arboretum planted 100 trees donated by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Adriana Orozco, an ASU biology senior and intern at the Arboretum, said that the Arboretum is a way for students to leave their mark on the campus in a positive way.
“It’s a good program. Students at ASU are planting trees on our campus that will be there for a long time,” she said.
Reach the reporter at jaking5@asu.edu.
