A Community Forest for Urban Dwellers
Western New Mexico University recently attained the designation of official “Tree Campus” by the Arbor Day Foundation higher education program that recognizes sustainability through the building and maintenance of university community forests. Established in 2008, the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education initiative encourages colleges and universities across the nation to create an approach that would allow for institutions to grow community forests while working toward efficacy and conservation. “WNMU has made environmental sustainability part of its mission toward better serving our students and community by working toward creating a more beautiful and healthier campus for future generations,” said WNMU Horticulture Coordinator Chala Werber. “This designation is an important step toward the university’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2025 as well as our continued good stewardship and preservation of the Gila region, a goal we are collectively committed...