Sacramento State has more than 3,000 different trees on campus and is on its way to earning the Tree Campus USA recognition.

In honor of Arbor Day, The Sacramento Tree Foundation partnered with Sac State’s biology field group to plant the first ceremonial tree.

Jasmine Greer, senior biology major, made it possible for this to happen by bringing these two groups together.

“This is the very first Arbor Day event that I know of that Sac State has celebrated and we are just getting started,” Greer said.

Greer is a volunteer for Sacramento Tree Foundation and is also head of the initiative for the Tree Campus USA.

The passion to be a part of tree planting started when Greer was growing up. She said her passion is a result of growing up in apartment complexes with no urban forest.

Two years ago Greer got involved in a program called Alternative Break. This program gave her the opportunity to volunteer with the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

After volunteering with the foundation, Greer said she wanted to continue to be a part of the tree planting and caring for the existing trees.

“Oh my gosh, we can plant trees in our urban environments and make them so beautiful and so healthy. I want to be part of this,” Greer said.

The planting of the tree helped complete one of the steps in a process for Sac State to be eligible for the title Tree Campus USA, which is a recognition given to campuses with arboretums and urban forests on campus

Five steps are needed to be involved with this initiative to receive recognition for the year. There must be a tree advisory committee, campus tree program, campus tree care plan, Arbor Day observance and service learning projects, said Shawn Colvin, Greenprint relations and program director for Sacramento Tree Foundation.

A tree care advisory committee has been organized so students can be involved on campus with the trees.

“It is a start for the school to be recognized as a Tree Campus USA and that is a good thing for us to be acknowledged for the diversity that we have on campus,” Allison Ferkovich, senior biology major and president of the field biology group, said.

Greer said her definition of Arbor Day is about recognizing trees are an important part of people’s lives and people benefit from them in numerous ways.

“Imagine life without trees,” Greer said. “It wouldn’t happen. We depend on these trees for life and this beautiful campus setting and we need to take a moment to appreciate them and recognize what they do for us,” Greer said.

Trees are not only here to make the campus beautiful but also because they benefit in reducing the need for energy and they provide cleaner air, Colvin said.

Greer wants students to know from planting and taking care of trees, there are opportunities for everybody, and this should be a point of pride for Sac State.

“I think there is a legacy here that is completely at risk of being missed. I don’t want that to happen and I don’t think Sac State wants that to happen,” Greer said. “Let’s do something.”

Elisha Angrisani can be reached at [email protected].