February 3, 2009 - The Arbor Day Foundation today honored Albany Technical College as a Tree Campus USA college for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship.
Albany Technical College is the fourth college or university to earn Tree Campus USA status.
“The Tree Campus USA program will have a lasting impact at Albany Technical College and throughout the country because it will engage students and local citizens to plant trees and create healthier communities for people to enjoy for generations to come,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Albany Technical College will benefit from better tree-care practices on campus, and it will help connect the university with tree-care professionals in their community to improve the tree canopy in Albany.”
Tree Campus USA, a new national program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors college and universities and the leaders of the campus and surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA is supported by a $750,000 grant from Toyota.
Albany Technical College met the required five core standards of tree care and community engagement in order to receive Tree Campus USA status. Those standards are establishing a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree-care plan; verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day observance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.
The Arbor Day Foundation launched Tree Campus USA in the fall of 2008 by planting trees at nine college campuses throughout the United States. More information about the Tree Campus USA program is available at www.arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.
About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.
Albany Tech named Tree Campus USA (WALB)
Feb 4, 2009
Albany Technical College is south Georgia's first Tree Campus USA, honoring the college for it's dedication to environmental stewardship.
Tree Campus USA is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation that recognizes colleges that promote urban forest management.
Albany Tech met their standards of having a tree advisory committee, a campus tree plan, dedicated annual expenditures to care for the trees, involvement in Arbor Day, and service learning projects by students.
Albany Tech Horticulture Instructor George Paul said "It also involves the students where they can actually do things to improve the environment on campus."
The Albany Tech students maintain and plant the pines, magnolias, oaks, palms, and other native trees on the campus as part of their trade instruction.
By Jim Wallace