MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville has been honored once again for its commitment to effective urban forest management, receiving 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation.
For the ninth consecutive year, the college has received recognition from Tree Campus Higher Education, a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, which honors colleges and universities that show a commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for tree resources.
To be considered for the 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.
SUNY Morrisville’s diverse tree collection allows for environmental, aesthetic and educational benefits. It also serves as a living laboratory for many courses, including horticulture, forestry and arboriculture, in which students engage in tree identification, planting, pruning and assessment.
“Morrisville’s hands-on approach to learning allows for our students to have a positive impact in our local environment,” said Associate Professor Rebecca Hargrave, who leads the efforts of the college’s tree campus advisory committee. “Planting and maintaining trees reinforces what we do in the classroom, and Tree Campus Higher Ed recognition is a reflection of that positive student work.”
SUNY Morrisville maintains a campus tree-care plan that includes policies for planting, care and removal, as well as plans for tree protection and preservation.
A recent landscape redesign made way for many new trees on campus and increased the biodiversity of its urban forest.
The college has tree planting events planned this year to recognize Earth Day on April 22 and Arbor Day on April 29.
SUNY Morrisville offers bachelor’s degrees in environmental & natural resources conservation and horticulture business management, as well as associate degrees in horticulture, environmental conservation science, and natural resources conservation. A new concentration in arboriculture and urban forestry provides natural resources conservation students another area in which they can specialize.