UConn will celebrate Arbor Day in a big way in 2015!
Stemming from the enthusiasm of the UConn Arboretum Committee, UConn has a deeply rooted tradition of campus tree care and species diversity. By branching out and becoming the first school in Connecticut to receive the Tree Campus USA recognition, UConn has committed to sprucing up campus and increasing public outreach in regard to campus trees.
The process of completing our re-certification application for the National Arbor Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program is currently underway. In addition, the UConn Office of Environmental Policy recently submitted a contest application to the National Arbor Day Foundation outlining how we would celebrate Arbor Day in 2015. Through this competition, UConn had a chance to win $500 of funding and outreach materials to celebrate Arbor Day on campus. UConn was selected as a finalist by the Arbor Day Foundation and was eventually voted a winner after receiving almost 3,000 votes nationwide! This was a great accomplishment considering the hundreds of Tree Campus USA schools competing. Ten schools in total won the contest, divided based on campus population into small and large school categories.
Winners in the large school category include Colorado State University, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Vermont, University of Connecticut, and University of Alaska-Anchorage. Winners in the small school category include Berry College, University of Alaska-Monticello, Washington & Jefferson College, Wabash Valley College, and Morrisville State College. Check out the official winner’s page here!
The contest prizes will ensure an even larger audience for UConn’s Arbor Day Celebration than last year. In 2014, the Arbor Day Celebration was held on Earth Day (April 22nd) in conjunction with Earth Day Spring Fling, a campus-wide environmental event showcasing various student organizations, campus dining, and eco-friendly third party vendors. This year, UConn plans to utilize the contest prizes to hold an outreach event focusing on campus trees and their maintenance.
We are currently working on some exciting ways to celebrate Arbor Day 2015 and hope you will be excited as well! With your help, our sports teams won’t be the only seeded programs in April. If you have any questions or ideas for how we could celebrate Arbor Day or would like to participate, please contact UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy at EnvPolicy@uconn.edu.
-Chris Bruno