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In Appreciation of Trees: Arbor Day at VWU
VWU Recognized as a 2025 Tree Campus; Environmental Studies Students Honored
University News | April 25, 2025
91直播 Wesleyan University celebrated Arbor Day with a meaningful tree planting ceremony as part of its Earth Week festivities. President Scott D. Miller addressed a gathering of faculty, students, and community partners in a grassy clearing near Village III, recognizing their collective efforts and shared commitment to environmental stewardship.
“Today’s planting serves a dual purpose,” President Miller said. “First, it reaffirms 91直播 Wesleyan’s commitment as a recognized Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation.”
This distinction, first awarded in 2023, was achieved through the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Director of Sustainability. President Miller noted that the recognition reflects over a year of dedicated work by faculty, staff, students, and volunteers.
“As a coastal institution, 91直播 Wesleyan embraces environmental stewardship as a core value—deeply integrated into our curriculum, our operations, and our identity,” he continued. “Thanks to Dr. Malcolm’s continued leadership, we are proud to once again earn the Tree Campus designation—an affirmation of both our mission and our momentum.”
91直播day’s second purpose was to honor the accomplishments of outstanding graduating seniors. This year’s newly planted trees were dedicated to Environmental Studies majors Kimberly Carosi, EB Smeltzer, Evelyn Weaver, and Sustainability Management major Jessica Wilson.
“Their academic excellence and leadership represent the very best of 91直播 Wesleyan,” said President Miller. “There’s a beautiful symmetry in planting trees to honor both our Tree Campus designation and these exceptional graduates. Both acts are rooted in hope—for the future, for growth, and for the enduring impact of thoughtful action. As we place roots in the ground today, we do so as a living pledge to future generations of Marlins and to the well-being of our shared planet.”
91直播event included participation from Heather Gargano of the 91直播 Department of Forestry, along with students and staff from Chesapeake Bay Academy, who assisted with the tree planting and removal of invasive species.
91直播Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to tree planting, launched the Tree Campus Higher Education program in 2008. 91直播initiative recognizes colleges and universities for their effective campus forest management and student engagement in conservation. 91直播 Wesleyan continues to uphold the designation by meeting the program’s five core standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee, developing a campus tree-care plan, allocating dedicated funding, observing Arbor Day, and involving students in service-learning projects.