University of Findlay Celebrates Arbor Day ‘22 with Tree Planting

In celebration of Arbor Day, University of Findlay’s Campus Tree Advisory Committee and Student Green Club planted a bald cypress on campus on Thursday, April 28.

The tree was planted near the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum “The bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, is native to swamps of the coastal plain region of the southeast United States and swamps along the southern half of the Mississippi River. Many people associate it with bayous of Louisiana and swamps of the Mississippi Delta region,” said event organizer Ben Dolan, Ph.D., associate professor of biology. “It loses its needles every fall and they turn a nice, rusty-orange color, making it a great choice for UF’s campus!”

“Trees provide value to the University in a variety of ways,” Dolan said. “They are, of course, beautiful to look at and provide nice shade in the summer, but they also sequester carbon dioxide, generate oxygen for us to breathe, and remove pollutants from the atmosphere. Additionally, chemicals released from trees and other plants have been shown to reduce stress – something we could all use a little help with!”

The Campus Tree Advisory Committee hosts this annual event to share the importance of sustainability and the impact that trees have on the environment. The Committee is comprised of University faculty, Physical Plant staff, and community member Tom Mills, who chairs the Shade Tree Commission for the City of Findlay.

Learn more about Findlay’s sustainability efforts on the Campus Sustainability Initiatives webpage. Pictures of the tree planting can be found on the University’s Flickr.