Florida Tech Earns ‘Tree Campus’ Honor from Arbor Day Foundation
University Will Plant Two More Trees in Annual Ceremony
MELBOURNE, FLA. — For the eighth year in a row, Florida Tech was honored with the 2023 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management.
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.
There are 411 campuses across the United States with this recognition. Florida Tech is one of just 15 in Florida.
Kathy Villegas Murillas, co-chair of the University Sustainability Council, said it takes many hands to achieve this honor.
“The tireless support of our student groups who work in our botanical gardens and around campus, our grounds team that supports tree plantings, and key donations from our community help make this distinction possible,” Murillas said. “We look forward to introducing new initiatives that will add more trees to this beautiful campus that many of our students call home.”
The Tree Campus program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Florida Tech achieved the distinction by meeting Tree Campus Higher Education’s five standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee; having a campus tree-care plan; providing dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program; holding an Arbor Day observance; and providing a student service-learning project.
Over the year, Florida Tech planted more than 20 trees across campus, including six Black Olive trees, six Royal Poincianas and five Red Maples. Additionally, the Student Organization for Sustainability Action (SOSA) sponsored a clean-up of the Joy and Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden.
Trees on campus can lower energy costs by providing shade cover, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students and faculty, the Arbor Day Foundation notes. 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 student and faculty overall wellbeing.”
In honor of Earth Week and the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission, the Florida Tech Tree Campus USA committee will plant two more trees. The ceremony will happen next to the Crawford Building on April 25 starting at 2:30 p.m.
