The Arbor Day Foundation has honored Elmhurst College with 2015 Tree Campus USA® recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Elmhurst College achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project. Currently, 254 campuses across the United States have earned this recognition.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”

Elmhurst College’s entire 48-acre campus is an accredited arboretum that boasts nearly 800 trees and shrubs, including many exotic and rare specimens. Learn more about it or take a virtual tour.

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $36.8 million in campus forest management last year. For more information, visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s website.