VLS Opens Campus Arboretum
April 23, 2010
A White Ash behind Jacobs House is one of the trees recently tagged by VLS's Arborist Society.
The arboretum includes small aluminum identification tags hung on a number of trees across campus, as well as a Web site with an interactive map that highlights some of the trees.
The project is part of the VLS native campus initiative, whose goal is to foster native plants and trees and prevent non-native and invasive species on campus.
The school's Arborist Society, a subgroup of the Environmental Law Society, spent the past three years raising funds to buy the tree tags.
The arboretum is modeled after arboretums on other college campuses that emphasize their natural beauty, in part, by labeling their trees, said Markell Ripps 3L, co-chair of the Aborist Society.
"As a natural resources major (at Cornell University), this is something that I really enjoyed using as a learning tool because the tags provided the common and scientific name of the tree," she said.
Society members opened the arboretum with a dedication ceremony and two nature walks during Earth Week.
"During our walks, we stopped by each tagged tree and talked about its importance and relation to the campus initiative," Ripps said. "The group will continue to raise money to buy more tree tags for the campus, as well as for several prominent trees along the Kent's Ledge trail."
Currently, the tagged trees include the maple and white pine in front of Cornell Library, the lilac near the bike shed and the box elder and birches behind Debevoise Hall. Some trees also have been tagged along the White River bordering campus to highlight the importance of a riparian buffer.
Learn more about green initiatives at VLS.
SHARE