Brownwood News – Howard Payne University was recently honored with 2019 Tree Campus USA® status by the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of the university’s commitment to effective urban forest management. The recent recognition marks the fourth consecutive year HPU has received the award.
“Tree Campuses and their students set examples not only for their student bodies but also the surrounding communities, showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Because of Howard Payne University’s participation in the program, air will be purer, water cleaner, while students and university personnel will be surrounded by the shade and beauty trees provide.”
The Tree Campus USA® program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Institutions that receive the recognition must meet the program’s five standards – maintaining a tree advisory committee, having a campus tree-care plan, dedicating annual expenditures to its campus tree program, holding an Arbor Day observance and organizing a student service-learning project.
“I thank the HPU grounds staff members and student workers for all their hard work to maintain our campus,” said Roger Dewell, director of facilities at HPU. “They work tirelessly to be good stewards of what the Lord has provided for us here at HPU, making our campus not only beautiful in appearance but also inviting to students, faculty, staff and the public.”
The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, while Tree Campus USA® colleges and universities invested more than $51 million in campus forest management last year. More information about the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.
