In 1985, the University of Nevada, Reno became a designated state arboretum. In 1987, the Quad became categorized as a Jeffersonian Academic Village on the National Register of Historic Places. And in 2018, the University will be planting trees to honor its recertification as a Tree Campus USA member.

"As a state arboretum, our campus serves educational purposes," Cheryll Glotfelty, the University's Arboretum Board chair, said. "Students and the community can come to campus to learn about trees. So, one reason to be proud of being a state arboretum is that education at the University takes place outdoors, in the landscape of campus, not just indoors in classrooms."  

The National Arbor Day Foundation designates college and university campuses as Tree Campus USA members as long as they meet five standards. All members must have a campus tree advisory committee, a campus tree care plan, a campus tree program with dedicated annual expenditures, to observe Arbor Day, and complete a service-learning project. These standards are built to promote healthy trees and enhance student involvement.

"These annual events remind us of our dependence on a healthy ecosystem and that our actions either promote or damage ecological health," Glotfelty said. "Arbor Day reminds us of how trees enrich our lives and how trees provide vital environmental services while also creating beauty." 

Beginning at 10 a.m., Friday, April 27, the University will hold an Arbor Day ceremony to celebrate its recertification as a Tree Campus USA on the patio of the Pennington Medical Education Building. If interested, volunteers can sign up through GivePulse to help plant trees. Volunteers will meet earlier, at 8 a.m., at the same location.

"An arboretum is essentially a museum of living plants and trees, but that is a different concept than simply a beautiful campus," Glotfelty said. "You can have a beautiful campus that consists of only about 15 different kinds of trees, but our campus has more than 200 different kinds of trees from all over the world."

Universities all over the country are being recognized as Tree Campus USA members for supporting the Arbor Day Foundation's Earth-friendly initiative. Nevada is one of 39 states to boast multiple Tree Campus USA members, with two. However, the amount of tree species on the University's campus surpasses the Foundation's requirements.

"I'm just really happy to be involved in planting trees and teaching people to become aware of and value trees," Glotfelty said. "When you plant a tree, you can see it - watch it grow, visit it, care about it, and think to yourself that you had a hand in making the campus more beautiful and even the world a better place."

Earlier in the week, an Earth Day celebration will be held Monday, April 23, at Gateway Plaza in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union. This celebration embraces the national theme of Earth Day: End Plastic Pollution.

Attendees at the Earth Day celebration will have an opportunity to engage with a variety of environmental groups.

"We want to provide students, staff and community members the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of environmental organizations, as well as provide them with information on ways to get active in the cause of becoming more sustainable," Morgan Zuziak, Student Union program and marketing coordinator, said. "We are aligning our effort this year with the national theme. We want to help end plastic pollution; from littering landscapes to filling landfills, to injuring marine life and disrupting human hormones, the growth of single-use plastic is threatening the health of our planet and those living on it."

The businesses, organizations and clubs planning to attend include: 

• Child & Family Research Center  
• Sustainability Club  
• Environmental/Social Justice Club  
• University of Nevada Cooperative Extension - Master Gardeners  
• Patagonia  
• Sierra Trading Post  
• The Holland Project  
• Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation  
• University Arboretum Board  
• The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada 
• Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Garden  
• Full Circle Soil & Compost  
• Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful  
• Reno Bike Project  
• League to Save Lake Tahoe  
• City of Reno, Sustainability & Climate Program  
• Environmental Club  
• Nevada Campus Cycling Coalition  
• Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC)  
• Joe Crowley Student Union 

Inclement weather will move the celebration inside the Joe Crowley Student Union to the 15th Street Food Court area.