Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota Grant 35 Trees to the University of Colorado Through Tree Campus USA

10/03/12
Boulder, Colorado (October 3, 2012) – Students and staff at the University of Colorado planted 35 trees from the Arbor Day Foundation this morning, in celebration of the university's commitment to tree care and conservation. This is the second year of Tree Campus USA recognition for the University of Colorado.

The volunteer effort at the University of Colorado is one of five tree planting events sponsored by the Foundation and Toyota during the fall of 2012 to give students and staff the opportunity to participate in hands-on conservation activities. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE, was also a partner in today's tree planting.

Today, 35 Gambel Oak trees were planted along a new bike path east of the Coors Event Center.

"CU has worked towards carbon neutrality as a part of its sustainability mission for decades, and the three student-run buildings on campus -- the UMC, Wardenburg Health Center and the Student Rec Center -- achieved carbon neutrality earlier this year," said Natasha Goss, a CU student and chair of the campus environmental board. "An important part of that mission is caring for the trees and other plants on our beautiful, historic campus. We want CU to be even more beautiful in decades to come and are delighted to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation in working to achieve that goal."

CU's Museum of Natural History and CU Facilities Management are also hosting two free tours of Boulder's historic campus forest. The first was held yesterday at 5pm, with another scheduled for 5pm today. The tours, led by Senior Grounds Specialist Alan Nelson, emphasize the unique characteristics and historical significance of CU trees. Interested participants can meet at the south entrance of the Museum of Natural History at 15th and Broadway.

The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA is supported by a generous grant from Toyota.

During 2011, the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota helped campuses throughout the country plant 30,000 trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities have invested more than $22 million in campus forest management. More information about the Tree Campus USA program is available at arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.

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About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.

About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed over half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.