Kellogg Community College is officially a “Tree Campus.”
That’s according to approval from the Arbor Day Foundation this month designating KCC an official “Tree Campus Higher Education” institution.
KCC’s recognition places it among the ranks of just three community colleges and 10 higher-ed institutions statewide currently designated a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation. The College is also the only new Tree Campus Higher Education school in the state recognized this year.
Tree Campus schools must meet the following standards to be recognized:
- Establishment of a campus tree advisory committee
- Evidence of a campus tree care plan
- Verification of the plan’s dedicated annual expenditures
- Observing Arbor Day
- Creating a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body
KCC’s comprehensive application process for the recognition began in the spring of last year and included a complete tree inventory and assessment of the trees on campus, completed in 2023 by students; the development and launch of a campuswide Tree Care Management Plan, coordinated by a new Campus Tree Advisory Committee; the allocation of a dedicated financial account set aside specifically for tree maintenance on campus; and the institution of an annual Arbor Day observance event, spearheaded by the College’s Student Life Office and student Environment Club.
The initial campus tree inventory and assessment was completed by students in the course SCIE 100: Environmental Science over the Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 semesters as part of an in-class service-learning experience. In Spring 2023 alone, the students identified and mapped more than 780 trees across campus, with a long-term goal of creating a public dashboard where visitors can view a campus tree map with information about each tree.
“KCC is thrilled to be recognized as an official Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation,” said KCC Math and Science Chair Mike Goldin, who worked on the College’s Campus Tree Advisory Committee with colleagues from the Integrative Learning and Institutional Facilities departments. “This recognition is a reflection of our commitment to preserving and caring for the beautiful outdoor spaces that we are so blessed to have on the North Avenue campus and at the regional centers. It is especially fitting that a new generation of Bruins helped make this a reality through their service-learning work, a perfect example of how KCC students make a difference in our communities.”
Arbor Day is an annual celebration of trees first observed in the U.S. in the 1870s and is traditionally observed via tree-planting events and activities surrounding educational information about trees. For more information, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website at arborday.org. More information about the Tree Campus Higher Education program is at arborday.org/programs/tree-campus-higher-education.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.
