Tree Campus Feature: Youngstown State University Legacy Forests

By: Bob Cunningham

There’s a reason Youngstown State University has been designated a Tree Campus Higher Education by the Arbor Day Foundation for 11 years in a row.

The Ohio university continues to find ways to up the ante when it comes to managing its trees and engaging its student population.

The institution launched the YSU Legacy Forests project with the goal of planting a tree for every freshman who enrolls in the university to leave a legacy for them and for the community to help mitigate climate change.

In November, about 20 students — following COVID-19 guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) — planted 600 trees. Another 1,200 trees will be planted this Arbor Day, totaling 1,800 – one for each incoming freshman.

“We're trying to do our part to bring our Mahoning Valley into carbon neutrality,” said Dr. Colleen McLean, YSU associate professor of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences. “We know there is a lot more that needs to be done to have that happen — but it's a start.”

The 100% donor-funded program is a passion project for Katharine Donnachie, a senior majoring in environmental science.

“The idea of climate change is becoming more and more prevalent to the ethos of people my age and especially college students, because this is our future that we're looking at now,” Donnachie said. “We're really seeing these effects of climate change and it gives us a way to actually be doing something and be involved in the change that we want to see. We have been told that this is a first-of-its-kind project or program for a university, which is really exciting as well because that's just more drive to get people involved.”

YSU President Jim Tressel attended the tree planting, as well as Ohio State Senators Michael Rulli (R., Salem) and Sean O'Brien (D., Bazetta) and several members of the community.

“We had two state representatives come, which was very exciting,” Donnachie said. “So, it's not only getting out and planting trees, but really getting the word out about why it is so important because this is our future. I heard one student say, ‘This is going to be cool in 20 years to be able to drive by with my kids and say I helped to plant those trees as a freshman in college.’ And that goes for me too now as a senior in college, just being able to be a part of that — It’s really exciting.”

Having the support of the Arbor Day Foundation helps open doors “since they are synonymous with trees,” McLean said, “and gives our project credibility.”

“Having the support from the Arbor Day Foundation has given our project legs to stand on and people believe in what we're doing because ‘climate change’ sometimes can be a tipping point for some people,” Donnachie said. “We're saying we want to help our carbon imprint of the region and we want to get students involved in planting trees and making Youngstown beautiful.

“We're also teaching students valuable life skills by acquainting them with things that we would have been doing 30 years ago every single day such as learning how to garden at your house and how to work with people in a field. There are all kinds of transferable skills within this project. The Arbor Day Foundation has been so influential on the success of this program and we couldn't be more thankful for it.”

There are so many benefits from having trees, McLean said.

“If you think about all the other ecosystem services they provide, not just the carbon sequestration, but a habitat for birds and insects and improvements to water and soil quality,  as well as the greening aesthetics as Katherine was saying, to further beautify Youngstown,” she said.

The first planting was done on Mahoning County Land Bank property.

“Our first planting site reforested an abandoned residential area on the east side of our city,” McLean said, “which is about two minutes from campus.”

By planting the trees near campus, with future plans to help beautify the Greater Youngstown area, it’s a way to involve community members.

“We are starting local with this initiative, but we hope it serves as a template for other universities and communities. Climate warming impacts often feel overwhelming, but it’s empowering to plant trees,” McLean said. “Our students had a lot of fun with the inaugural micro forest planting, and I hope they are encouraged to know that YSU is proactive in solving environmental issues.”

“Such a large aspect of it is trying to get community members involved,” Donnachie said. “And, if anything, it's kind of using the empathy of ‘please help us college students try to make our future better’ and then they can inspire other change and other help in other areas that we don't even know about yet.”

To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education program, visit: https://www.arborday.org/programs/tree-campus-higher-education/