News

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Arbor Day Foundation has designated Middlebury College a “Tree Campus,” an honor the college has also received in previous years. The distinction recognizes colleges and universities and their leaders for “promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.”

In making its assessment, the Arbor Day Foundation looks at five core standards, including the establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its tree-care plan, an Arbor Day observance, and sponsorship of student service-learning projects.

The foundation noted that it had recently the “Time for Trees” initiative, which seeks to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities by 2022. According to the foundation, Tree Campus USA schools have planted 32,204 trees and engaged 31,682 students in their efforts.

Middlebury has mapped more than 2,200 of its campus trees through a management system to support tree care, including pruning and fertilization, and pest management. To view an ineractive map of Middlebury’s campus trees, click here.