Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Toyota helped launch the program and continues its generous financial support this year.
SCC achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA's five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service learning projects.
“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for all of us.”
The SCC Tree Advisory Committee is going into its third year, working closely with multiple organizations such as the SCC Biology Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation Urban Foresters, SCC students and the community.
SCC's outreach to these organizations and the community has had a large impact by incorporating this into the curriculum, as well as service learning projects and community service projects. The SCC Tree Care Advisory Committee and affiliated organizations work hard to raise awareness of the importance of urban forests and the impending challenges trees face in the current environmental conditions.
“Toyota is so proud to support a program that we believe has a tremendous impact on both reducing the environmental footprint of a college campus and inspiring college students to become the conservation leaders of the future,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation.
“The SCC Tree Advisory Committee is growing every year and taking root into the community,” said Dan Porter, SCC grounds supervisor. “It will continue to branch out and raise awareness alongside the Arbor Day Foundation, amongst others.”
The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota have helped campuses throughout the country plant hundreds of thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested $23 million in campus forest management last year. More information about the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.
St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.