West Lafayette, Indiana (April 26, 2012) – Students and staff at Purdue University planted 60 trees from the Arbor Day Foundation this morning, in celebration of the university's commitment to improving tree care and sustainability. This is the third year of Tree Campus USA recognition for Purdue University.
The volunteer effort at Purdue University is among 13 tree planting events sponsored by the Foundation and Toyota during the spring of 2012 and one of seven co-sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE
Today, four species of trees were planted along Harrison Street between Sheetz Street and Jischke Drive.
"This recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation highlights Purdue's commitment to the importance of trees on our campus," said Michael Gulich, director of university sustainability. "Trees provide ecosystem services such as shade, microclimate mitigation, water and air filtration, stormwater mitigation, habitat, and learning opportunities. And trees also provide an aesthetic that our campus community expects."
The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA is supported by a generous grant from Toyota.
During 2011, the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota helped campuses throughout the country plant 30,000 trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities have invested more than $22 million in campus forest management. More information about the Tree Campus USA program is available at www.arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.
About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.
About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed over half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.