Tree Campus Higher Education

UIC has been recognized as a Tree Campus every year since 2011.

To achieve recognition, UIC must meet five standards outlined on the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education page.

Standard 1 – Establish a Tree Advisory Committee

UIC’s Tree Advisory Committee meets with the Chancellor’s Committee for Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) Grounds subcommittee to discuss the status of UIC Trees on an annual basis which includes at least one of the following:

  • Student (undergraduate or graduate)
  • Faculty
  • Facility Management
  • Community – for example – city forester, municipal arborist, community tree board member.

Standard 2 – Create and Adhere to a Campus Tree Care Plan.

UIC has a Tree Care Plan that contains recommendations by the Tree Advisory Committee how to best care for UIC’s trees, including provisions to protect our mature trees and how to replace removed trees.

Standard 3 – Dedicate Expenses to the Tree Care Program.

UIC is committed to its trees and works with a professional arborist company to inventory all trees on UIC’s property.  A large comprehensive inventory provides our Grounds Department with specific, long-term solutions to tree care. The healthier the tree, the more benefits it can provide. These types of investments are essential in our campus wide ability to thrive and expand sustainably.

However, these dedicated expeditures only apply to our existing forest that are managed by Facilities Management (VCAS). New tree plantings are funded through contributions and donations to the UIC Tree Care program.

Standard 4 – Hold Annual Arbor Day Observance Event.

We hold Tree Campus Arbor Day Observances annually typically held during Earth Month commemorating Arbor Day (the last Friday in April in Illinois). If funding is available, we are able to plant trees with the help of UIC Facilities Management (Grounds). If funding is not available that year, we hold an educational observance.

Standard 5 - Host Service Learning Projects.

We host Tree Campus Service Learning Projects that include tree tagging, tree plantings, and tree education projects such as quantifying the benefits of trees to health and wellness as well as to student academic success. We also host Tree Campus USA interns through the Sustainability Internship Program that focus on tree-related events, maintaining the Tree Care Plan, and other data collection like the growth rate of native vs. non-native tree species. Sign up as an EcoVolunteer to become involved in our Service Learning Projects.

Below are examples of various Service Learning Projects throughout the years.