October 21, 2010
Come plant a tree on Oct. 28
Want to help make a green campus even greener? Volunteers are needed to help plant 15 to 20 Deodar Cedar trees at the north end of the E-1 parking lot between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28. Volunteers need only show up, although work gloves would be useful.
The tree planting is part of an ongoing program at the UW as it lives up to its “Tree Campus USA” designation. The Arbor Day Foundation conferred the honor on the University a year ago — the second year of the program. To earn it, the University had to show that it had:
- A committee that deals with landscape and trees.
- A campus tree plan.
- An Arbor Day program.
- Dedicated annual expenditures for trees.
- A service learning or outreach project.
The UW was the first college in Washington to make the list; Columbia Basin College has since been added.
If participating in the tree planting Oct 28 merely whets your appetite for more, The Arbor Day Foundation is asking you to sign up to plant trees not just on campus, but anywhere in the area. You can sign up online and you’ll receive monthly messages about tree planting opportunities. If you sign up by Nov. 5, you’ll also receive a point to donate to the University. The Tree Campus USA school with the most points will win $2,500 worth of trees to plant next spring.
The tree planting event is one of the University’s Tree Campus USA outreach projects, said Campus Arborist Sara Shores. She’s also led a couple of “Tree Tour Wellness Walks.” And whether the University wins the Arbor Day Foundation’s contest or not, there will be a tree planting event on campus in the spring — either on Earth Day or Arbor Day.
To learn more about the UW’s Tree Campus USA honor, see our story here. Learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation here.
