UND adds new trees in annual Arbor Day event
Annual ceremony marks UND’s participation in national tree stewardship program
UND’s already green campus got even greener — with hints of pink, red and purple — last month with the planting of additional trees at the annual campus Arbor Day event.
The event is held each year to not only broaden the depth of the campus’s tree coverage, but also acknowledge UND’s involvement in the “Tree Campus Higher Education” program. The initiative was created by the Arbor Day Foundation, explained Jared Johnson, UND’s arborist, who kicked off the June 18 event.
According to the Foundation’s website, Tree Campus Higher Education “is a national recognition program that helps colleges and universities plant, nurture and celebrate trees on campus and beyond.”
Speaking from a podium flanked by the American, North Dakota and Arbor Day Foundation flags, Johnson said this year’s selection includes a Rejoice Crab Apple (with its pink flowers), a Hillside Upright Norway Spruce (there’s the additional green), a Royal Red Maple (with some purple leaves) and a Crimson Spire Oak (green, with lovely red fall coloring).
Johnson said he chose the trees because most of them tend to grow up, vs. spreading out too far.
“They save on lateral space, but you still get the different textures and colors,” Johnson told UND Today.
After Johnson explained the event and identified the trees, he invited Karla Mongeon-Stewart, vice president of Finance & Operations, to the podium to give her thoughts.
Arbor Day is a time to not just plant trees, but also reflect on what trees offer people, Mongeon-Stewart said. And while she could have described the science of that notion (given that trees are providers of clean air and biodiversity), she chose instead, she said, to reflect on what trees offer the human spirit.
Humans are similar to trees in that both life forms are diverse and grow in unique ways, she said. Trees can also teach humanity patience, since growth and progress for trees “happens gradually, often underground and unseen.”
Nor are trees solitary entities, standing alone, she noted.
“They connect through their roots and networks of underground fungus, sharing nutrients and sending warnings to their fellow trees. They support each other,” she said.
“So do we. Humans thrive in community.”
Taking the podium next was Matthew Kibbon, associate vice president for Facilities, who first thanked everyone in the UND landscaping shop for setting up the event.
The tree-planting event at UND is frequently held some weeks later than Arbor Day itself, to make sure the weather is suitable for planting, Kibbon said. And being a native Nebraskan (the birthplace of Arbor Day in 1872), Kibbon said the day holds a special place in his heart.
He called Arbor Day a “bold, visionary effort to bring trees to the open prairie.”
Settlers in Nebraska recognized that trees offered more than just landscape features, he said. Trees represented shelter, stability, sustainability and a legacy for future generations.
“Today, that spirit of stewardship continues, not only across the country and around the world, but right here at the University of North Dakota,” he said.
“Trees on our campus do more than shade our walkways. They teach us, tell our history, define our spaces and quietly improve the health and well-being of our entire community.”
Johnson then thanked Mongeon-Stweart and Kibbon for speaking at the event. Then, “I guess we’re ready to plant some trees,” he noted.
And with that, Johnson; Melissa Grafenauer, UND’s horticulturist; campus landscapers; and even President Andy Armacost got to work planting the four latest additions to UND’s tree cover.
The new trees can be seen on the north side of the Chester Fritz Library between the library and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, near University Avenue.
And while the work was going on, many of the attendees had a little fun posing for photos with “Nuttsy,” the giant squirrel character who serves as the Grand Forks Park District’s mascot. Park District workers and volunteers frequently attend tree-planting events at UND.
