Centre News

The Arbor Day Foundation recently recognized Centre College
as a Tree Campus USA 2011, signifying that Centre is dedicated
to “sustainable campus forestry.” Recently, Thomas Becker ’15
and Bonner Coordinator Rachel Skaggs ’11 helped plant trees
along St. Mildred's Court.

The Arbor Day Foundation recently recognized Centre College as a Tree Campus USA for 2011. The award signifies that Centre is dedicated to “sustainable campus forestry.”

The recognition means that, last year, Centre met the core standards of the Arbor Day Foundation, which include the formation of a tree advisory committee on campus, commitment—both monetary and otherwise—to a campus-wide tree care plan, observance of Arbor Day and sponsorship of service-learning projects for students.

“Participation in the Tree Campus USA program is useful for Centre in several ways,” says Preston Miles, John C. Walkup Professor of Chemistry. “The program gives us opportunities to involve students in service learning on our campus and in the Boyle County community, and also helps maintain a healthy tree canopy that, in turn, will directly remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce the energy needs to operate our buildings. The variety of species and ages of trees leads to an aesthetically pleasing campus that is attractive to staff and students. Also, planting trees is fun.”

The Tree Campus USA program began in 2008 through collaboration of the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota Motor North America, Inc., and recognizes campuses nationwide for their promotion of environmental sustainability throughout the college community, as well as efforts to maintain a healthy presence of trees on campus.

In recent months, members of the Centre community have planted trees across campus to replace those lost for various reasons. Trees were planted in front of the Guest Cottage in late 2011 to replace a dogwood lost in the ice storm of 2009, and in early March, the Centre community came together to replace trees similarly lost along St. Mildred’s Court. Three American Beech saplings, donated to the College by Trustee G. David Grissom ’65, were recently planted in front of Young Hall to replace the beloved American Beech tree that stood there for decades until its death in 2011.

Centre students, faculty and staff remain dedicated to a variety of environmental and sustainability efforts year-round. To read more about them, visit the sustainability homepage here.

Have comments, suggestions, or story ideas? E-mail elizabeth.trollinger@centre.edu with your feedback.

Centre College, founded in 1819 and chosen to host its second Vice Presidential Debate in 2012, is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges, at 42nd in the nation, and ranks 27th for best value among national liberal arts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 34th among all the nation’s colleges and universities and has named Centre in the top five among all institutions of higher education in the South for three years in a row. Centre is also ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News for its study abroad program. For more, click here.