The Arbor Day Foundation has honored Duquesne University with a 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management.
The world's largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees, the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus Higher Education program began in 2008 to encourage colleges and universities to plant trees on their campuses. Approximately 10% of college campuses across the United States hold this recognition.
Trees on campus and in urban spaces can lower energy costs by providing shade cover, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students, faculty and staff. They also improve students' mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses and create shaded areas for studying and gathering.
"When students visit Duquesne for the first time, they're amazed at how our campus is like a beautiful park in the middle of the city," said Bill Zilcosky, senior director of facility services and operations at Duquesne. "We know this green environment has enormous benefits for them and our entire campus community of staff and faculty as well, which makes the Tree Campus recognition very meaningful for the University."
The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management, and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Duquesne achieved the distinction by meeting Tree Campus Higher Education's five standards, including 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.
"Trees not only play a vital role in the environment but also in our daily lives," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Having trees on college and university campuses is a great way to show a commitment to students' and faculty's overall wellbeing."
Duquesne joins the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University as recognized Tree Campuses in Pittsburgh.
Duquesne is hosting the following campus Arbor Day events to recognize the Tree Campus honor:
- Thursday, April 28, at 10:30 a.m.: Arbor Day Tree planting between Genesius Theater and College Hall. Attendees include Duquesne President Ken Gormley, City Forester Lisa Ceoffe and Danielle Crumrine, executive director of Tree Pittsburgh
- Friday, April 29: Duquesne's grounds work group will plant a tree on northeast corner of the Bayer Learning Center
- Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m.: To promote the Pittsburgh Redbud Project, Duquesne's Evergreen Student Volunteers will plant 50 redbud saplings on the hillside above the corner of Locust Street and Shingiss Street.
More information about the program is available at treecampushighered.org.
Duquesne University
Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities
for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly
8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them
work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic
programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh
region have earned national acclaim.
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