This New Mexico Arbor Day, The University of New Mexico announces its designation as a Tree Campus for Higher Education. The Arbor Day Foundation awards this recognition to higher education campuses dedicated to enhancing community well-being through tree education, investment, and community engagement. With this designation and announcement, UNM is reinforcing its dedication to preserving and enhancing its campus trees and its overall commitment to Sustainability, as outlined in UNM 2040.

“Many Lobos have enjoyed the shade of our more than 5,000 trees on the Albuquerque campus or paused to admire them," said Teresa Costantinidis, UNM's executive vice president for Finance & Administration. "The Tree Campus Higher Education designation reaffirms our commitment to preserving and enhancing our campus as a vibrant learning environment and a place the entire Albuquerque community can enjoy.”

Trees on campus can lower the energy cost of campus facilities by providing shade cover, reduce extreme heat, improve air quality, and boost physical health benefits for students, faculty, and staff. In addition, trees improve the entire campus population’s mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic, and create shaded areas for gathering and studying. 

Tree Campus designation is awarded to institutions that meet five core standards: the establishment of a Campus Tree Advisory Committee, the implementation of a Campus Tree Care Plan, an annual expenditure dedicated to tree maintenance, an Arbor Day observance, and the completion of a service-learning project.

“Earning the Tree Campus Higher Education designation is a testament to more than a century of dedication to our campus trees,” said Shawna Wolfe, vice president for Institutional Support Services. “From UNM President William Tight’s first plantings in 1905 to today’s sustainable tree management efforts, generations of students, faculty, and staff—including our Facilities Management (FM) team—have contributed to making UNM a greener, healthier place.”

To celebrate this designation, the UNM Office of Sustainability will host an event on April 1, at the flagpoles on the south side of Scholes Hall at 12:30 p.m. to kick off Earth Month. The event will feature speakers, a tree planting, a seed swap, and campus arboretum tours. Additionally, the "U" in front of UNM's Hodgin Hall will be lit green in support of UNM's Tree Campus designation.

For more information about this and upcoming Earth Month events, visit UNM Sustainability.