Penn College Retains National ‘Tree Campus’ Designation

For the third consecutive year, Pennsylvania College of Technology has been honored with Tree Campus USA recognition for effective forest management and for engaging employees and students in conservation goals.

The national program was created by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor educational institutions for their commitment to trees and for helping to provide solutions for the global challenges to air quality, water resources, personal health and well-being, and energy use.

Penn College earned the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project.

“It is nice to see the horticulture and forestry faculty, students and college horticulturalists come together to develop a plan to celebrate trees and all they have to offer,” said Justin W. Beishline, assistant dean of transportation and natural resources technologies. “It’s inspiring that the Arbor Day Foundation recognizes the college’s involvement in having a beautiful tree campus.”

Nearly 350 campuses across the country have been so recognized – 16 of them in Pennsylvania.

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $48 million in campus forest management during the past year. More about the program, which is observing its 10th anniversary this year, is available at the foundation's website.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”

While still at the discussion stage, a collaborative initiative would provide a publicly accessible guide to the location and species of trees on Penn College property. The plan tentatively involves cataloging trees through mapping technology, enabling cellphone users to link to an online map and additional information.

To learn about about forest technology and landscape/horticulture technology majors in the School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies, call 570-327-4516.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.