SUNY Jamestown Community College has received the Tree Campus USA designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation for the 14th consecutive year.
Tree Campus USA is a national program established in 2008 to recognize colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and to engage staff and students in conservation goals. JCC received its first designation in 2009 and was the first community college in New York to receive that designation.
“We are proud of our efforts to protect the earth while creating a campus that can improve the overall well-being of its community,” said Janis Bowman, professor of biology and coordinator of environmental sciences at JCC.
Tree campuses must plant at least one Arbor Day tree annually; You will also create and update a tree management plan, maintain a tree committee and a designated budget for trees and their care. Student involvement through service-learning projects or internships is also required.
JCC plants several trees each year to increase tree canopy and sustainable tree services. Additional goals include increasing tree diversity, climate resilience, and native species in the College Arboretum.
According to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees on campuses and urban spaces can reduce energy costs by providing shade, clean air and water, and green spaces for students and faculty. Shaded areas for learning and gathering make the campus more visually appealing, and trees have been shown to improve students’ mental and cognitive health.
“Trees not only play an important role in the environment, but also in our daily lives,” said Dan Lambe, executive director of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Having trees on college and university campuses is a great way to show commitment to the overall well-being of students and faculty.”
The college will hold its tree planting ceremony on May 4 at 12:30 p.m. on the Jamestown campus. Participants should gather at the pond and be prepared to go to the planting site. The event is sponsored by the JCC Tree Committee and the Sustainability Committee and is free and open to the public.
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