Clayton State Earns 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education Recognition

(February 21, 2022) - Visitors to Clayton State University have long admired our lush landscape which spans over 200 acres. For nine years, our Landscape Management Department has been acknowledged for master campus community forestry by the Tree Campus Higher Education. The national program, launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

Each year, Michael Perkins, landscape management assistant director, leads a 12-member Campus Tree Advisory Committee made up of students, faculty, facilities management staff, and community members.

"We are proud to have received this recognition for the ninth consecutive year, and we plan to continue contributing to the wellness of our campus and community," said Perkins.

The committee’s role is to create and implement a standards-based tree management practice that includes a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures, Arbor Day observance, and a service-learning project.

During 2021, members of our soccer and basketball teams helped plant white flowering dogwood on Laker Lane, the newest road to CSU East. Our soccer players also assisted with landscaping in preparation for commencement.

Annual forestry recognition demonstrates our commitment to collaborating with our university family and the community to maintain our landscape, learn about the environment, and create a campus that all are proud of.