Arbor Day Foundation honors Salve Regina with Tree Campus USA recognition

For its ongoing commitment to the urban forest management of its 80-acre campus, Salve Regina has once again earned Tree Campus USA Higher Education recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Salve Regina achieved all five core standards for sustainable campus forestry required by Tree Campus USA, including the existence of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for tree stewardship, an Arbor Day observance and the sponsorship of student service learning projects.

The Salve Regina Arboretum, a recognized Level II arboretum by ArbNet’s accreditation program, preserves the natural and historic landscape resources on campus. University grounds feature about 1,200 trees of more than 100 different species.

As part of a 10-year arboretum plan developed in 2018 by students working with Dr. Jameson Chace, associate professor in the Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, strategies were developed to inventory the current tree collection. Teams were also established to develop formal educational programming and conservation initiatives related to the arboretum, as well as to conduct research related to arboreta and develop a list of species of special interest to add to the arboretum in the coming years. A primary goal of the 10-year plan is to guide the University to reach Level III Arboretum accreditation.

“We value this land surrounding our campus, and we feel a strong sense of responsibility to preserve it for future generations of students, members of the community and visitors to Newport,” said Chancellor M. Therese Antone, RSM.