The Arbor Day Foundation has honored Daemen University with 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management.
Daemen 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 fewer than campuses across the United States with this recognition.
To mark the occasion, Daemen students planted an eastern redbud tree on campus; the species is native to New York.
“Daemen was awarded its Tree Campus designation based on its previous and future plantings—plus commitment to future activities to educate individuals on the importance of trees and their care,” said Brenda Young, professor of biology in the Natural Sciences Department and chair of Global and Local Sustainability at Daemen.
The planting was co-hosted by the Environmental Club, which was restarted this year by first-year natural sciences student Cadence Russell, who serves as president. Assistance for the planting was provided by Elbers Landscaping, a Buffalo-based family-owned garden center.
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 well being.”
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.
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, almost 500 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.
The honor for Daemen coincides with the Arbor Day Foundation’s 50th anniversary and the sesquicentennial (150th) Arbor Day.
As part of the university’s ongoing efforts as a Tree Campus—which requires that institutions have activities each year to spread awareness about trees and promote their health—Daemen also hosted a tree scavenger hunt last week.