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K-State Today

April 22, 2015

Tree Campus USA educational activities

Submitted by Cathie Lavis

Kansas State University has been a recognized Tree Campus USA since 2013, so arboriculture students are planning educational activities to support this title.

In Kansas, Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April. Students in HORT 585: Arboriculture will offer various educational activities to engage the campus community on Wednesday, April 22, through Friday, April 24.

A walking path through the campus highlights 18 trees with informative posters featuring educational information and interesting facts about each tree. These signs will be posted for public viewing through April 24.

Arboriculture students will share facts and information about trees and their care at two highly visible campus locations. Stop by and view these informative and interesting tree specimens. You will not want to miss the other fun activity: watching arboriculture students climbing trees. They will demonstrate the use of a rope and climbing harness system for pruning trees with or without an aerial lift truck. Climbing also allows the arborist to get into the tree to prune from inside out, while a bucket truck works from the outside in. Many long-practicing arborists believe this is the ideal method to prune mature trees.

The final portion of the educational menu will be students demonstrating proper tree planting at 10:30 a.m. April 24 on the south lawn of Dykstra and Throckmorton halls. Students will plant two trees donated by Blueville Nursery: a Chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii, and a Redpointe maple, Acer rubrum 'Frank Jr.' City of Manhattan foresters also will participate.

Campus and Manhattan community members are invited to share in this activity. For further information, contact Cathie Lavis, chair of the Kansas State Tree Campus USA, at clavis@k-state.edu or 785-532-1433.

Tree Campus USA is a national program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation that honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting appropriate tree care practices while engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. To obtain and maintain this distinction, Kansas State University must meet the five core standards for sustainable campus forestry; including a tree advisory committee with student representation, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance event, and the sponsorship of student service-learning projects.

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