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<p>Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis faculty, staff, students and other volunteers will plant 20 trees on campus April 26, Arbor Day. They will plant five flowering crabapples at West and Michigan streets, the main &#8220;portal&#8221; to campus, and 15 sugar maple trees, mostly along the south side of Michigan Street between Blackford and California streets. IUPUI [&hellip;]</p>

IUPUI will celebrate Arbor Day by planting 20 trees on campus

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis faculty, staff, students and other volunteers will plant 20 trees on campus April 26, Arbor Day.

They will plant five flowering crabapples at West and Michigan streets, the main “portal” to campus, and 15 sugar maple trees, mostly along the south side of Michigan Street between Blackford and California streets.

IUPUI was designated as Tree Campus USA this year for the first time. The national program, created in 2008, has five standards: a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.

“Trees not only make a campus more beautiful and provide shady spots for students, faculty and staff to relax, but they also act as a natural insulator and significantly reduce energy consumption, as well as reduce carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change,” said Colleen McCormick, director of IUPUI’s Office of Sustainability. “Obtaining the Tree Campus USA designation reinforces our commitment to making IUPUI a leader in urban sustainability initiatives.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

– The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.

– Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air-conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating.

IU Physical Education and Tourism Management instructor Susie Benko and students in her Special Events Management class assisted with coordination of the event and recruiting volunteers.

IUPUI is dedicated to creating a culture of campus sustainability and to making the campus a place where faculty, students and staff are engaged in research, teaching and learning about urban sustainability and its best practices.