For the second straight year, all four of Troy University’s campuses in Alabama have been awarded the Tree Campus USA® designation by the Arbor Day Foundation.

The recognition commended the commitment to effective urban forest management for the University’s campuses in Troy, Dothan, Montgomery and Phenix City.

Created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, the Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective forest management on campus and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Troy University achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project. Currently there are 296 campuses across the United States with this recognition.

“The Tree Campus USA recognizes the University’s initiatives such as planting trees, conservation and sustainability awareness efforts, as well as campus and community beautification,” said Mark Salmon, physical plant director. “It is a reflection of our care and attention to planting and maintaining a healthy tree population on all of our campuses.”

Trees were planted on the Troy, Dothan and Montgomery campuses during ceremonies in 2016, while a tree-care and maintenance workshop was held on the Phenix City Campus.

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $46.7 million in campus forest management last year.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”

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 about the program is available at the Foundation’s website.