Virginia Tech Tops Nation in Tree Planters at arbordaynow.org, Wins Free Trees in Tree Campus USA Contest
date 11/15/10
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Jeff Salem, Director of Communications & Public Relations, emailNebraska City, Neb. (Nov. 15, 2010) – Virginia Tech has a top 25 college football team, but the Hokies rank tops in the nation when it comes to Tree Campus USA tree planters.
More than 900 Virginia Tech students, alums, donors and supporters signed up to become Tree Planters at www.arbordaynow.org, more than any other Tree Campus USA college or university. By finishing with the most Tree Planters, Virginia Tech won the Tree Campus USA Root for Your Home Team contest and will add more beauty to its campus in Blacksburg, Va. Virginia Tech will receive $2,500 in free trees from Tree Campus USA, a program of the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation that is supported by Toyota.
When individuals sign up to become a Tree Planter, they will be the first to learn about tree-planting opportunities in their area, receive monthly updates on ways to make a positive impact on the environment and will be eligible to participate in other contests at www.arbordaynow.org.
Virginia Tech will receive $2,500 worth of trees to be planted in the spring.
The contest allowed only Tree Campus USA colleges and universities to win free trees. Last year, the Arbor Day Foundation recognized 74 schools as Tree Campus USA institutions.
To become a Tree Campus USA college or university, a school must meet five core standards of tree care and community engagement. Those requirements are: establishing a campus tree advisory committee; providing evidence of a campus tree-care plan; having dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree plan; observing Arbor Day; and offering service-learning projects aimed at engaging the student body.
To see a complete list of Tree Campus USA colleges and universities, go to http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCampusUSA/campuses.cfm.
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About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization of more than 1 million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.