Years from now, a black gum on Duncan Drive will likely blend into the canopy of trees shading Auburn University’s campus. Few, if any, walking past it will know its history.
The tree, now just a sapling outside the Forestry and Wildlife Sciences building, was one of two planted Thursday morning to celebrate AU’s recognition as a Tree Campus USA University, a distinction granted by the Arbor Day Foundation to universities for their environmental stewardship and community involvement.
Auburn is the first school in the Southeastern Conference to receive the designation, said Art Chappelka, a professor in forest biology.
Richard Brinker, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, predicted the saplings will become fixtures on campus like the Toomer’s oaks and others that have seen a century of Auburn history.
“The trees we plant today will see a lot of change over the next 75 to 100 years,” Brinker said.
To earn the distinction, AU had to meet five requirements including establishing a campus tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, verification of the tree-care plan, involvement in an Arbor Day event and a service-learning project for the student body, according to a release.
But Chappelka said the work began before the university was approached last year. In the 1990s, as the campus recovered from Hurricane Opal, the university began adding more trees, Chappelka said.
Charlie Crawford, superintendent of landscaping services at AU, said the campus had about 4,000 trees then, but the population has grown to approximately 7,100.
“I don’t want to be the loveliest village on the Plains, I want to be the loveliest village in the United States,” Chappelka said.
But the distinction comes with obligations extending beyond campus.
AU must share its expertise with other institutions, said Linda Casey, a forester with the Alabama Forestry Commission who presented the Tree Campus plaque.
“Being first carries a tremendous responsibility,” she said.
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