Westminster is a 2012 Tree Campus USA

Westminster’s campus is especially beautiful in the spring when the flowering trees blossom.  The Choir College’s commitment to its trees has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation, which named Westminster Choir College of Rider University a Tree Campus USA for the first time.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Westminster achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for all of us.”

The Tree Campus USA committee for the Westminster campus is composed of the Eco-Reps: Mark Laseter, Gianna Panullo, Bess Ploener, and Hannah Strong, past Eco-Reps, Melissa Greenberg, Sustainability Coordinator, and Laura Hyatt, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Patricia Hyatt, community and Princeton Shade Tree Council member.