TCC Earns Tree Campus USA Second Year in a Row

students walking on a path among the trees on TCC Northeast Campus

For the second year in a row, all four TCC campuses earned the 2017 Tree Campus USA® designation by the Arbor Day Foundation. TCC is proud to be the only multi-campus community college member of the Tree Campus USA® family where each campus achieved this status.

“TCC is committed to engaging students, faculty and staff in sustainability and conservation efforts and to being a good community member for our environment,” said Mike Limas, who oversees the Tree Campus USA application and TCC’s sustainability practices. “This designation for each campus represents tremendous work to meet five core standards for sustainable campus forestry required by Tree Campus USA®.”

To obtain this distinction, TCC has a tree advisory committee and tree-care plan, dedicates annual expenditures for its campus tree program, sponsors student service-learning projects and observes Arbor Day.

All four campuses earned this designation as a result of TCC’s commitment to effective urban forest management. This is the second year for the Metro, Southeast and West campuses to receive the recognition and the sixth year for the Northeast Campus to receive the recognition. Tree Campus USA® is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation.

“If ever there was a time for trees, now is that time. Communities worldwide are facing issues with air quality, water resources, personal health and well-being, and energy use,” said Lauren Weyers, Arbor Day Foundation Program Coordinator, in the notification letter. “TCC’s diligence to improving the environment and quality of life contributes to a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.”

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA® colleges and universities invested more than $46.7 million in campus forest management last year.