Arbor Day Celebration & Tree Planting

On Tuesday November 18, dozens of Ursinus students, faculty and staff braved the bracing weather to celebrate (belatedly) Arbor Day here on campus.  The celebration was sponsored by Ursinus’ Campus Tree Care Committee (CTCC), the Office of Sustainability, and the Facilities Services Department. 

When asked why the College was celebrating Arbor Day (which is scheduled for the last Friday in April, both nationally and in Pennsylvania) in November, Campus Sustainability Planner and CTCC chair Shannon Spencer noted that “We were not able to schedule an event that coincided with the actual Arbor Day dates this year, but we celebrate the essence of the holiday throughout the year.  Our trees are critical to the everyday experience of our campus; we enjoy and celebrate those trees every day in large and small ways.  The Campus Tree Care Committee chose a date in November for our official Arbor Day celebration so that we could combine it with a tree planting, an important tradition here at Ursinus.”

Spencer led off the celebration in front of Pfahler Hall with an homage to trees on campus. She then extolled the benefits of trees and about Arbor Day and why the campus was celebrating the holiday in November.

Environmental Studies professor Patrick Hurley then explained proper planting techniques, including proper width of the hole, planting depth, and mulching for trees. Students were then invited to help plant the pink dogwood tree.  Many of the dozens of student attendees grabbed shovels and joined in the experience.  

Spencer finished the ceremony by reading two poems about trees by A.E. Housman.  One, called Loveliest of Trees, promotes the idea that trees should be enjoyed all year round, including when they are hung with snow.  This was particularly apt for the frigid temperatures that attendees enjoyed during the ceremony.

Our Campus Tree Care Committee will be applying for Tree Campus USA status for Ursinus in 2014.  We have a draft Tree Care Plan, a Tree Master Plan, and have a tree inventory of over 1,300 of our campus trees.  For more information, please see the related content links on this page.