College of Saint Mary is designated as a Tree Campus

OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary (CSM) has been designated as a Tree Campus, which signifies our contribution to a greener and healthier campus environment.

“Receiving the Tree Campus designation shows that we do live our values at CSM. We care about the stewardship practices of our land, and we are dedicated to sustainability in our landscaping decisions,” said Amanda Roe, assistant dean of sciences and professional studies. “We understand the importance of trees and the role they play in our environment, and we have made their maintenance and diversity a priority.”

Tree Campus Higher Education recognized CSM for our commitment to environmental stewardship, urban forestry, sustainability and community engagement. To receive this designation, the College met standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation.

“Our goal in joining this network is to highlight our incredible campus tree diversity, create engaging student learning opportunities and develop a public app that identifies every campus tree,” said Roe.

The app would allow users to look up a tree on campus, learn its common name, see images of what it looks like seasonally, discover when it was planted, find out whether it is native and learn about its preferences.

CSM joins Creighton University, Hastings College, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Omaha in Nebraska, as well as 412 tree campuses around the country.

The College advocates for the five Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, who founded CSM. The Critical Concern earth, means caring for Earth’s ecosystems, addressing climate change, advocating for the right to clean water and committing to ecological conversion.