WMU re-certified as a Tree Campus

By Erin Kaplan
Western Herald

The Arbor Day Foundation recently re-certified Western Michigan University as a Tree Campus USA. WMU and the University of Michigan are the only schools in Michigan to be named certified tree campuses, and are among fewer than 30 other schools across the country to be awarded the title.

Timothy Holysz, director of WMU landscaping services, said that WMU was chosen “because of the way landscape services maintains the trees and canopies.”

Every tree has its canopy. A tree canopy, according to Holysz, is the leaf surface over grassy areas, over parking lots or sidewalks. It’s what the tree encompasses.

The Tree Campus USA program began in fall 2008. This is WMU’s second year being certified. WMU has nearly 5,000 trees on its many campuses and owns over 500 acres of preserves and natural acres.

To become a Tree Campus, each university must meet five core standards. First, the university must establish a Campus Tree Advisory Committee consisting of a student, a faculty member, faculty management, and a community member.

Second, a Campus Tree Care Plan must be established. This states a purpose, a communication plan, goals and targets.

Third, the campus tree program must have dedicated annual expenditures. This requires that each university set aside money to be specifically used toward keeping WMU a Tree Campus.

Next, each university must commit to an Arbor Day Observance to educate students, faculty, and community about becoming a Tree Campus.

Lastly, each campus must commit to participating in a service learning project relating to the Tree Campus.
In addition to meeting Tree Campus USA’s five-standard requirements, WMU has done much more. During last year’s Arbor Day celebration,
WMU hosted a self-guided walking tour, or “tree walk,” on main campus surrounding Wood Hall.

The Wood Hall Tree Tour showcased 21 different trees. This spring, landscaping services looks forward to working with Students for Sustainable Earth (SSE) for the celebration.

“This is extremely important. It’s the sustainability of the earth,” Holysz said.

“A tree canopy benefits the environment. [We are] saving tress, planting them, maintaining them well. Seeing them mature for the generation after us is important.”

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Jan 11 2010. Filed under Breaking, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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