Since 2015, Fordham has participated in Tree Campus USA, a national program that honors colleges and universities for promoting tree conservation across their campuses. Participating institutions complete five tasks: creating a tree advisory committee, developing a campus tree-care plan, annually dedicating funds toward a campus tree program, celebrating Arbor Day, and sponsoring related student service-learning projects.
A week ago, the University celebrated Arbor Day with some special guests—nearly 120 second graders from P.S. 205. On April 30, the second graders, Fordham students, and University staff gathered at the Rose Hill campus for a giveaway, a poetry reading, and a series of speakers. Together, they planted a holly tree in a grassy patch bordered by Keating Hall, Spellman Hall, and John Mulcahy Hall.
The young tree joins the Arbor Day Foundation’s initiative of planting 100 million trees and engaging five million tree planters by 2022.
“This year, Tree Campus USA schools have collectively planted 32,204 trees and engaged 31,682 students—helping us work toward these critical goals and the large-scale impact we seek,” wrote Dan Lambe, the president of the Arbor Day Foundation, in a letter to Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “And your continued dedication to trees will help to create lasting change for future generations.”
