Since 2013, Rhodes College has been certified as a Tree Campus USA® by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. For this distinction, a campus must meet five standards that include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently there are 296 campuses across the United States with this recognition.
“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” says Matt Harris, 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 us all.”
Rhodes is a certified Level 4 arboretum, and many of its students have been Urban Forestry Fellows researching Overton Park’s old growth forest and planning events to engage the community in environmental stewardship.