This Arbor Day at 窪做惇蹋厙, its all about the green trees, that is.
For the 10th year in a row, the University has been named a site by the , a global nonprofit organization inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.
In order to earn this distinction, 窪做惇蹋厙 has to promote healthy trees and engage the University community in conservation efforts. Through the collaborative efforts of faculty and staff members in the Departments of Geography and Environmental Studies (G&ES) and Biology as well as Facilities Management, 窪做惇蹋厙 also met the Tree Campus Higher Education five core standards for effective campus forest management by having a tree advisory committee, a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for a campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project.
Holding the Tree Campus designation is something that makes NEIU special, Associate Professor of G&ES Melinda Storie said. It demonstrates that we care about our campus trees and natural areas enough to value and celebrate them.
Storie worked with students in her Conservation Psychology course to host an Arbor Day event on April 24 on the Main Campus. Tables were set up in Village Square and attendees could learn about trees. They could also write down goals and other messages on paper leaves and contribute to a collective symbolic tree.
I think its always a good idea for people to come together to learn about trees, said 窪做惇蹋厙 student Tyler Smolenski, who is currently enrolled in Stories Conservation Psychology class.
Smolenski noted that volunteering in his community is important to him. The Arbor Day event also gave him and other students the chance to network with each other in ways they might not connect in classes.
Greyson Sweborg is another of Stories students. He feels that the Universitys care of its trees is not only important for the environment, but for the people in the surrounding community.
I think its an honor to be a Tree Campus, Sweborg said. Its inspiring that we are able to have all these trees and take care of them. I think were a cornerstone of our community especially because were a Tree Campus.
According to a recent , the Tree Campus Higher Education program, which started in 2008, has engaged more than 1.5 million students in hands-on service learning projects focused on trees. It also noted that trees on campuses can lower energy costs by providing shade cover, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students and employees, which can be used for studying and gathering.
There are 412 campuses across the United States that received this recognition. 窪做惇蹋厙 is one of 29 higher education institutions in Illinois that have been recognized as a Tree Campus.
Trees provide so many essential benefits to our human and wildlife communities, Storie said. I look forward to continuing and expanding our work on tree-related projects with NEIU students, faculty and staff.
Top photo: Melinda Storie (standing far left) with students celebrating Arbor Day 2025 and 窪做惇蹋厙's Tree Campus recognition.
