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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tree Campus USA tree planting taking root Friday in Dunn Meadow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 9, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington students, faculty, staff and community members will gather Friday, Nov. 11, in Dunn Meadow for a Tree Campus USA tree planting.

The event, organized by the IU Bloomington Tree Campus USA steering committee, aims to replace some of the trees lost to storm damage May 25 and take a step closer to the Campus Master Plan's goal of doubling the tree canopy.

"Having spent the past several months removing and pruning damaged trees, it is wonderful to welcome the fall planting season with an event that allows the entire campus community to share in the healing and recovery," said university landscape architect Mia Williams. "The trees planted this week will help to ensure that the native woodland character of this beautiful campus is alive and well for all to enjoy.

Volunteers should arrive between 9:30 and 10 a.m. to share coffee and doughnuts and collect their gloves and work group assignments. At 10 a.m., the group will pause for a message from Tom Morrison, IU vice president for capital planning and facilities, about progress on campus tree planting initiatives and to honor this fall's Energy Challenge winners, as well as winners from all previous competitions. From 10:15 a.m. to noon, work groups will plant nine red and white oak, one bur oak, two maple, one elm and five cypress trees.

"Friday, 11/11/11, is a day when we celebrate two events in Dunn Meadow that are seemingly unrelated: tree planting, and energy and water conservation," said Bill Brown, IU director of sustainability. "Trees do conserve energy by reducing the urban heat-island effect while cleaning air and water. Both events celebrate people getting personally involved in issues of importance to campus sustainability. We expect many of our Energy Challenge award winners will stick around to plant trees."

The tree planting is part of a larger effort on behalf of the Tree Campus USA steering committee to engage students in the development of a vibrant urban tree canopy. Previous events have enlisted students in planting trees in the new campus arboretum just south of the DeVault Alumni Center.

"The simple act of planting a tree on your college campus will forever connect students to a specific place when they return many years later as alumni," said Burney Fischer, clinical professor at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He also suggests that the "knowledge gained of how to correctly plant a tree" is something students may use in a job assignment when organizing a company's annual environmental awareness event.

To register for Friday's Tree Campus USA tree planting, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/Tree-Campus-USA. Questions can be directed to sustain@indiana.edu.

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