The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized SUNY Old Westbury as a 2024 Tree Campus for its dedication to enhancing community well-being through tree education, investment, and community engagement.
The 2024 designation marks the sixth time SUNY Old Westbury has been named a Tree Campus, with the honor first being awarded in 2016.
Earning this recognition shows our campus' ongoing commitment to stewarding our property while at the same time teaching our students how to participate and advocate for a more sustainable world.
-- Timothy Sams, president
To earn Tree Campus recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation, colleges and universities must uphold five core standards including maintain an advisory committee, set a campus tree care plan, verify annual investment in the tree care plan, celebrate Arbor Day, and create a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.
“Trees have the power to inspire learning and improve well-being,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “By growing campus green spaces, forward-thinking higher education leaders like SUNY Old Westbury are cultivating vibrant learning communities that also benefit the greater environment.”
Trees on campus can lower the energy cost of campus facilities by providing shade cover, reducing extreme heat, improving air quality and boosting physical health benefits for students and staff. In addition, trees improve students' mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for gathering and studying.
About the honor, University President Timothy E. Sams said: “A proverb of Chinese descent notes 'The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.' Earning this recognition shows our campus' ongoing commitment to stewarding our property while at the same time teaching our students how to participate and advocate for a more sustainable world."
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus program is operated in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and support from professional partner Bartlett Tree Experts. To learn more about the program or how to apply, visit arborday.org.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972. The Tree Campus program recognizes schools, universities, and healthcare facilities that utilize trees to improve their communities. The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.