Arbor Day Celebrated at Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Colleges Eligible for Tree Campus Higher Education Award

Annapolis, MD - As part of celebrating the 150th National Arbor Day on April 29, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that all four Maryland historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have completed the first step to be eligible to apply for the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education, a national recognition program, which recognizes colleges and universities efforts to establish and sustain healthy community forests.

This year marks the first time all four HBCUs – Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) – have conducted Arbor Day plantings, one of the five steps toward eligibility. Maryland Forest Service staff will be assisting the schools as they develop their plans to complete the additional steps.

Bowie State held a tree planting on April 22 with the student group, Green Ambassadors, planting six native trees that were supplied by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

Coppin State University students planted a red maple tree donated by the Maryland Forest Service.

UMES celebrated both Arbor Day and the launch of its urban forestry degree program, by planting a red maple tree donated by the Maryland Forest Service.

For their Arbor Day planting, Morgan State students will plant a cherry tree later in spring in memory of their fellow students who died from COVID-19. 

Throughout the spring, the Maryland Forest Service leads or joins numerous tree plantings across the state.