In celebration of Earth Week, Mason’s Arboretum Board hosted a community tree planting event at Peterson Hall on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Student volunteers came together to help plant flowering, dogwood trees (Cornus florida), which are native to the region and aid local wildlife and pollinators.
The trees and supplies for the event were donated by Facilities Management’s Grounds Department in support of the Arboretum’s mission: “To cultivate curiosity, education, and wellbeing through stewardship of its trees, gardens, and other natural spaces.”
Certified Arborist and Grounds Program Manager, Erich Miller, led the event while teaching students about the arboretum collection and the benefits that tree cover provides to Mason’s campuses. The new trees were planted along University Drive and are visible by the greater community to enjoy.
This event helps uphold the accreditation of the George Mason University Arboretum - a collection of trees and woody plants, which can be spotted on Mason’s campuses with labeled signs that include scannable barcodes to its online catalogue.
The event aligned with the second anniversary of the arboretum’s accreditation, which was certified on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Since then, the arboretum board - which consists of Facilities staff, campus faculty, and student arboretum interns - meets semesterly to discuss the maintenance of the arboretum collection and to plan engagement events for the campus community.
You can support future tree planting events at Mason by donating or giving your time to help. Reach out to learn more at gogreen@gmu.edu.
Story: Sarah D'Alexander
Photo Credit: Evan Cantwell