JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — SUNY Jamestown Community College will celebrate Arbor Day and its 17th consecutive Tree Campus USA designation with a ceremonial tree planting and reading of the Arbor Day proclamation at 12:30 p.m. April 23.
Those attending are asked to meet in front of the Jamestown Campus Science Center.
“All are welcome,” said Andy Pitoniak, assistant professor of Biology at JCC. “The event will be held rain or shine, so dress for the weather.”
Tree Campus USA is a national program launched in 2008 to recognize colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation. JCC earned its first designation in 2009, becoming the first community college in New York to achieve the recognition.
Tree campuses must plant at least one tree every year for Arbor Day.
"To maintain our Tree Campus designation, we must show a commitment to maintaining and improving the trees on campus," Pitoniak said. "We also have to maintain and regularly update a tree management plan, keep a tree committee active, involve students through service learning, and designate a budget for the trees and their care.”
According to the Arbor Day Foundation, campus and urban trees lower energy costs through shade cover, improve air and water quality, and create green spaces for students and faculty. Shaded outdoor areas make campuses more visually appealing, and research has shown trees improve students' mental and cognitive health.
The Tree Campus celebration is sponsored by the JCC Tree Committee and Sustainability Committee.