For its commitment to the development and maintenance of a healthy campus landscape, Georgia Tech has been selected by the Arbor Day Foundation as one of six universities to receive a recognition gift of 75 new trees.
For its commitment to the development and maintenance of a healthy campus landscape, Georgia Tech has been selected by the Arbor Day Foundation as one of six universities to receive a recognition gift of 75 new trees. Student organizations, staff and university leadership will be on hand to assist with the planting during a November 6 ceremony, from 9 a.m. - noon at the Campanile.
"We’re very appreciative of the Arbor Day Foundation for selecting our application,” said Hyacinth Ide, Facilities landscape manager. “The trees that have been selected will not only offer shade for our students, but also provide some beautiful fall foliage for all to enjoy.”
For each of the past three years, Tech has been awarded the Tree Campus USA distinction, a program begun by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2008 to recognize colleges and universities that practice sound campus forestry. In order to earn the distinction, schools are required to meet five core standards of tree care and community engagement.
In meeting these standards, Georgia Tech developed a comprehensive tree care plan, a document that provides precise instructions regarding species selection, site preparation, planting and maintenance. To care for a campus with more than 7,000 trees, the plan also creates a Campus Tree Advisory Committee for ongoing oversight and evaluation.
The goal defined by Tech’s Landscape Master Plan is a landscape that will help Georgia Tech increase the campus tree canopy to a minimum of 55 percent and increase campus woodlands coverage to 22 percent.
“When my friends and I walk through campus, we want to feel like we are actually on a campus and that we can relax between classes in some shaded area,” said Tara Bryant, an undergraduate student in the School of Public Policy. “I feel like Tech's trees really set us apart from the urban atmosphere so that we can actually enjoy that green campus feel.”
“There’s no better way to celebrate the achievements of Tree Campus USA than to plant trees with students,” said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation. “By encouraging students to get involved with conservation efforts on campus, Georgia Tech is helping the next generation of tree planters see first-hand that a landscape can be transformed and a community improved by the simple act of giving back to the earth.”