Temple University reported on Apr. 7 that its Main Campus is home to nearly 1,300 trees from a wide range of species. These trees provide shade and help remove more than 800 pounds of pollution from the air each year, according to data collected by university students.
The presence of such a large number and variety of trees is significant for an urban campus environment. Rebecca Collins, Temple’s director of sustainability, said, “Our campuses are these little ecosystems. In addition to creating a positive, healthy environment for humans, the trees provide food and shelter for different wildlife that’s in an urban environment or maybe migrating through. So, it’s important to have both a large number of trees and a variety of species to support the needs of the creatures relying on them.”
Glenn Eck, associate director of grounds operations at Temple, discussed the importance of having different ages among campus trees: “If you plant all the trees at the same time, after 40 years, they’ll all decline at the same time,” Eck said. “So you have to take them all out and plant new trees. You really don’t want to set yourself up for that kind of cycle.” He also noted that age diversity helps spread out maintenance work and costs.
Student researchers conduct audits on every tree with support from the Office of Sustainability and Grounds Maintenance team. Their findings are compiled into an interactive digital resource called the Temple University Tree Map. This map tracks information such as planting dates, replacement history, carbon storage capacity and runoff water reduction by each tree. The project gives students practical experience in ecological research.
M.J. Droz-Santiago, a senior EcoRep and environmental science major involved in this effort said: “I was looking for ways to take action about climate change… It felt like it was a good first step into the career that I’m projecting to work in.”
Currently, Temple’s Office of Sustainability is exploring whether campus trees can help offset some portion of university carbon emissions.
