Montana State named Tree Campus USA ahead of Arbor Day

BOZEMAN - Arbor Day may feel extra special this year at Montana State University after it was recently named a Tree Campus USA for the 14th consecutive year.

Awarded by the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation, the designation recognizes universities with a campus tree care plan, advisory board, budget for forest development and maintenance, tree planting events for Arbor Day and a service-learning project for students and the community. MSU was first recognized in 2012 and has maintained its Tree Campus status ever since.

The university is home to more than 2,700 trees and has planted 20 new additions this year, said landscape manager Craig Bennink. His team and arborist Alex Aarsvold provide extensive tree care on campus by pruning, fertilizing, mulching and watering dozens of tree varieties. Trees that are transplanted or in their early years of life receive extra watering. MSU also "cores" trees, a non-invasive measure to extract wood samples, to check for rot.

"This Tree Campus designation proves our commitment to keeping MSU a diverse and nice-looking landscape," Bennink said. "The fact that MSU provides the leadership and budget to maintain all this is incredible and is not the case with every institution."

Four more trees, donated by Circle K International's MSU chapter, will find their home on campus this year, two of which will be planted during an Arbor Day event at 4 p.m. Friday, April 24. Attendees can help plant 6-foot spruce trees on the north side of Roskie Hall with gloves and tools provided by the university. Aarsvold will also discuss proper planting techniques and answer attendees' questions. The Arbor Day celebration is free and open to the public.

"Anytime we can be planting trees and taking care of our landscape, that's really impressive to see," Bennink said.