MORRISVILLE, NY—Morrisville State College has once again been honored for its commitment to effective urban forest management, receiving 2017 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Tree Campus USA, a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities that show a commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for tree resources.
Morrisville has received Tree Campus USA recognition for five consecutive years, dating back to 2013.
“Morrisville is synonymous with green,” said Morrisville State College President David Rogers. “We understand the environment around us, and the importance of properly managing our natural resources. The trees throughout our campus—which include the 150 acres of the main campus and more than 1,000 acres of farm and woodland—provide a landscape that is instructional, useful and scenic. It is a part of who we are.”
To be considered for the special distinction, a campus must meet five standards: establish and maintain a campus tree advisory committee; create a goal-oriented campus tree-care plan; dedicate annual expenditures for a campus tree program; hold an Arbor Day observance; and conduct a student service-learning project.
At Morrisville, students utilize trees for actual learning experiences.
“Students from several programs are engaged in hands-on projects that pertain to tree species identification, planting, pruning and surveying,” said Aida Khalil, a professor in Morrisville’s horticulture department and a member of the college’s tree advisory committee.
Recently, the tree advisory committee, which consists of Morrisville students, faculty, facility management and a qualified community representative, surveyed the campus quads and generated a planned strategy for protecting and replacing trees in anticipated future construction projects.
“Increasing native tree species on campus is one of the future goals for biodiversity,” Khalil said. “We are in the process of developing a campuswide arboretum to provide the college and community with all the educational, environmental and aesthetic benefits that a significant tree collection offers.”
The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $48 million in campus forest management last year.
“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, 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.”
Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, 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. More information is available at arborday.org.
More information about the Tree Campus USA program is available at arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.
Morrisville State College’s curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings.