Colorado State University celebrated 15 years as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus with a tree planting and ceremony April 24. Students, faculty, staff and community members recognized Arbor Day and the milestone anniversary by planting nine trees on the north side of the Hartshorn Building in the center of campus.

Attendees learned how to properly plant trees while beautifying campus. They also learned about the important services trees provide by cleaning air and water, helping to manage stormwater runoff, preventing soil erosion, providing habitat, storing carbon, reducing noise pollution, and cooling buildings and walkways with shade.

CSU has roughly 9,000 trees across its three Fort Collins campuses, with 7,207 trees on Main Campus alone. The university has planted trees for Arbor Day for the past 16 years. The event was financially supported by the CSU Bookstore and the Associated Students of Colorado State University.

To be designated a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation, the university must ensure the protection and maintenance of campus trees, reduce tree-related hazards to public safety, and maintain a sustainable campus forest through tree species diversity and best management practices. The Colorado State Forest Service, CSU Facilities Management and campus partners oversee CSU’s continued success in the program.