UAM Named One Of 10 Winners Of Tree Campus USA Celebrate Arbor Day Contest

            MONTICELLO, Ark. — The University of Arkansas at Monticello has been selected as one of 10 winners of the 2014 Tree Campus USA – Celebrate Arbor Day contest sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota.
            The contest, which drew more than 53,000 votes during an online voting competition, encouraged campuses to celebrate Arbor Day and awarded prizes to the top 10 college campuses with the most votes for their Arbor Day celebration plans for spring 2015.
            The contest was open to all 237 colleges and universities recognized as 2013 Tree Campuses. Entrants submitted plans for how they would engage their students and campus community in celebrating Arbor Day 2015. Fifty-one campuses entered the competition with 20 schools selected as finalists for online voting.

            The winning schools were UAM, Berry (Ga.) College, Colorado State, Morrisville (N.Y.) State, Southern Mississippi, Alaska-Anchorage, Connecticut, Vermont, Wabash Valley (Ill.), and Washington & Jefferson (Pa.).
            “This is a nice honor and a wonderful recognition or our commitment to the Tree Campus USA program,” said Chris Stuhlinger, university forester and coordinator of UAM’s Tree Campus USA activities. “We are pleased that our efforts have been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota.”
            According to Stuhlinger, UAM is planning five days of Arbor Day activities in March, including a quiz bowl,scavenger hunt, mulching project and an Arbor Day ceremony, cookout and tree planting.
            As one of 10 contest winners, UAM will receive $500 to be used for the purchase of trees or tree-related materials, 30 Tree Campus USA t-shirts, five Tree Campus USA yard signs and two Tree Campus USA banners.
            Tree Campus USA is a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation with support from Toyota. The program honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in environmental stewardship.
            The Arbor Day Foundation is a million member nonprofit conservation and education organization with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.
            For more information, contact the UAM School of Forest Resources at (870) 460-1052.