Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Programs Overview

A commitment to trees on your campus can significantly reduce the amount of energy a campus and community needs to generate. Planting and maintaining trees on your campus and in the community reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Green spaces provide critical mental health benefits and encourage physical activity. Trees provide shade, protect us from the wind, clean our air and water, and fight climate change, poverty, and hunger. At home, work, and at school, trees and green spaces also improve cognitive development, encourage outdoor activity, improve attentiveness, and reduce stress. When a person learns these benefits and has meaningful experiences with trees in their youth, they unlock great potential to become a champion of trees as a solution to global issues.

There are three Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Programs: Higher Education, K-12, and Healthcare.

Tree Campus Higher Education

Your college campus can receive annual Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by meeting five standards. Two- and four-year accredited colleges and universities meeting these standards will receive recognition materials to showcase their dedication to the campus environment.

The standards should be completed, and application submitted, by December 31 to be recognized as a Tree Campus Higher Education college or university for that calendar year. Click here to apply.

Resources:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Tree Campus Higher Education Toolkit
• 2019 Infographic

Tree Campus K-12

Tree Campus K–12 inspires the next generation of tree stewards through experiences that bring the benefits of trees to life both inside and outside the classroom. The program fosters positive connections between youth and the trees in their community and cultivates within its participants a lifelong respect for trees on a global scale.

To achieve recognition, an application is completed to highlight how the school successfully fulfilled the requirements of the four goals for Tree Campus K–12 recognition. To be recognized as a Tree Campus K-12, submit your application by the end of your school year. Click here to apply.

Resources:

• How to Get Started Checklist
• Learning Hub
• Tree Campus K-12 Flyer
• Nominate a School
• Helpful Resources