Tree planting at Penn State Harrisburg creates living lab for sustainability

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg students, faculty and staff joined volunteers from Pepsi and Penn State Sustainability staff on Earth Day, April 22, to plant more than 80 trees and shrubs on campus in an effort to advance sustainability goals and create new opportunities for student learning.

The event brought together campus and community partners to install grove and understory plantings of native trees and shrubs selected for their ethnobotanical properties. The planting aligns with Penn State's Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan and is intended to support long-term ecological health, biodiversity and research on campus.

Krista Bailey, Penn State Sustainability's associate director for campus sustainability, said the project reflects Penn State's broader commitment to linking sustainability planning with hands-on education.

Bailey added that they hope the project will serve as a model for sustainable landscape innovation and education by creating a living lab for students while also helping to reduce maintenance costs and increase biodiversity on campus.

"Penn State's landscape architects made sure the project aligned with the goals of the Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan so that this planting will ecologically intensify Penn State Harrisburg grounds, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landscape operations and maintenance, and increase landscape performance, ecological health, and biogenic carbon sequestration," Bailey said.

In addition to its environmental benefits, the event highlighted collaboration across the University and beyond. Faculty and staff at Penn State Harrisburg worked together to identify appropriate locations, species and logistics for the planting, with plans for experiential learning and research connected to the site. Volunteers were provided with gloves and tools courtesy of Harrisburg campus facilities staff as they worked to transform underutilized lawn areas into more resilient landscapes. Refreshments were provided by PepsiCo, whose support of the project has been ongoing.

"This event would not have been possible without the support from our partners at Pepsi who agreed to donate a tree for every three-point shot the Penn State men's and women's basketball teams made in January 2026," Bailey said.

Kay Fleischner, Penn State's Campus Arboreta Network assistant, added that this event increases opportunities for student research with the new living lab at Penn State Harrisburg specifically focusing on ethnobotanical plants.

"Through our partnership with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, this is the first Penn State campus to receive yellowwood tree progeny from the grove in Pittsburgh," Fleischner said. "These yellowwoods have been selected for their genetic diversity, and this research partnership will test how these yellowwoods will do in the different ecoregions of Pennsylvania. It will help us identify the best species for horticulture use and species conservation. With Penn State Harrisburg's recent ArbNet Level 1 accreditation, having an event of this scale showcases an exciting commitment from Harrisburg students, faculty and staff for stewardship and sustainable land care."

James Mutunga, assistant professor of biology at Penn State Harrisburg, added that this new living lab will serve as an invaluable learning resource.

"[It] demonstrate in real life how trees contribute to the health of the environment, animals and humans," Mutunga said. "Everyone will have the opportunity to witness a resource they can use for education and research. This is nature's medicine: a perfect gift to mankind."

Penn State Harrisburg students who participated in the Earth Day tree planting said they appreciated the chance to help create future opportunities on campus.

"It's important to me to contribute as much as possible to the campus, especially the environment," said Caleb Bernstein, a second-year accounting major at Penn State Harrisburg. "It will be cool to come back to the campus in 10 years and be able to see the impact we made."

Amanda Blagbrough, a third-year finance major at Penn State Harrisburg, agreed.

"[I'm] really passionate about biodiversity," Blagbrough said. "It's cool to learn about native species and all you can do with them. This creates opportunities for other students to learn about native Pennsylvania species and environmental care. And it's really fun, too."

The new plantings are expected to provide long-term benefits for the campus by increasing carbon sequestration, supporting ecological health, and offering a space where students and faculty can continue to engage with sustainability in practice.

For more information about Penn State's Sustainable Landscape Implementation Plan or the Living Labs program, contact Bailey at [email protected].