Kent State Salem Named Tree Campus USA; Earth Day Events will Help Celebrate this Recognition
Salem, Ohio – Kent State University at Salem received the Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation, which recognizes its efforts to promote forest management, horticulture studies and conservation. The campus will make an official announcement of this recognition during its Earth Day Celebration on Wed., April 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the north lawn.
To receive this distinction, Kent State Salem had to meet the Tree Campus USA’s five standards, providing detailed documentation for each standard. These include maintaining a tree advisory committee; having a campus tree-care plan; dedicating annual expenditures for its campus tree program; holding an Arbor Day observance; and leading a student service-learning project.
“We are quite proud of this distinction because we work hard to maintain each of the required standards,” noted Dr. Steve Nameth, dean of Kent State’s Columbiana County campuses. “A quick look at our beautiful campus is proof that we are committed to teaching and perpetuating urban forestry and horticulture sciences. This recognition helps shine the spotlight on our beautiful campus and on the staff and students who work so hard to make this such a high-quality program.”
The official presentation of the award will take place at 10 a.m. during the Earth Day Celebration, followed by a tree planting at noon. There also will
be displays with information about square foot gardening, tree appraisal, identifying trees by smell; beekeeping with an apiary demonstration hive; pallet gardening; careers and professions; and tree climbing demonstrations.
The Horticulture Club is selling tickets for a chance to win a gardening bucket with contents worth more than $150 including seeds, gardening tools, lottery tickets, a Home Depot gift card, tape measure, bucket caddy, rain gauge, tape measure, fertilizer, knee pad and other items.
The Salem campus is home to Kent State University’s horticulture program, where students can earn associate degrees in three concentration areas (urban forestry, landscape design and turfgrass management) or a bachelor of applied horticulture.
On-campus facilities include a greenhouse, an arboretum, nurseries, nature trails, plant research demonstration plots and the Discovery Garden. Off-campus facilities include the Draime Estate Gardens, a horticultural showcase offering paid internships and other educational opportunities for students.
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Media Contact:
Tina Smith, 330-337-4247, tsmit170@kent.edu
