Dublin – Bladen Community College was honored with 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education
recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management
for the sixth consecutive year.
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to
planting trees. Its Tree Campus Higher Education program began in 2008 to encourage colleges and
universities to plant trees on their campuses.
Trees on campus and in urban spaces can lower energy costs by providing shade cover, cleaner air
and water, and green spaces for students and faculty. In addition, trees improve students’ mental
and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for
studying and gathering.
“Trees not only play a vital role in the environment but also in our daily lives,” said Dan Lambe,
chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Having trees on college and university campuses is a
great way to show a commitment to students and faculty’s overall wellbeing.”
The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus
forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Bladen Community
College achieved the distinction by meeting Tree Campus Higher Education’s five standards,
including maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual
expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning
projects. Currently, there are 393 campuses across the United States with this recognition.
More information about the program is available at treecampushighered.org.
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