Kent State has been awarded the Tree Campus USA recognition for the 12th consecutive year from the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit conservation organization.

According to a press release from Kent State Today, there are nearly 4,000 trees on campus. 

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, the award is designed to recognize colleges for “promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.”

To receive the recognition, the university had to meet a set of five criteria; maintaining a tree advisory committee, having a campus tree-care plan, creating dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project, according to a press release. 

There are 385 campuses in the U.S. that take part in the Tree Campus USA recognition. Kent State is one of the 29 original campuses to receive this recognition. 

At Kent State’s Arbor Day observation, the university will celebrate this recognition and plant a tree in honor of president Todd Diacon.

Maria McGinnis is an assigning editor. Contact her at [email protected].