Albany Technical College plants a live oak in celebration of Arbor Day

Albany Technical College celebrated Arbor Day on Monday on the grounds north of the Nathaniel Cross Health Care Technology Building by planting a tree

George Paul, Environmental Horticulture instructor at Albany Tech, selected a live oak, which is the Georgia state tree. The tree was planted by ATC horticultural students in the large span of grounds between the Center for Excellence in Technology and the Nathaniel Cross Health Care Technology building.

“Often times work like this goes unseen, and I appreciate my students for liking to get dirt underneath their fingernails,” said Paul.

State of Georgia forester Chuck Norville helped supervise the planting of the tree, which is the third live oak the college has planted in as many years.

“Arbor Day all of us need to plant a tree,” said Norville.”

ATC also celebrates another year of being named a Tree Campus USA. The College has been named Tree Campus USA since 2008 for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship.

Tree Campus USA, a national program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors college and universities and the leaders of the campus and surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.

Albany Technical College met the required five core standards of tree care and community engagement in order to receive Tree Campus USA status. Those standards are establishing a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree care plan; verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day observance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

“We look at this as part of a giveback to our community,” ATC President Anthony Parker said.