
“This certification shows that Flagler College is committed to caring for its urban forest,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Don Spence. “Further, with the addition of the College’s new biology program, we will be able to support faculty and student research into plants and their role in sustainable landscaping.”
The Tree Campus program is a trusted, sustainable forestry program built by the Arbor Day Foundation for college campuses across the U.S. The program provides higher education leaders with the framework and support to take actionable steps toward preserving their unique campus environment. As part of the certification process, a Tree Care Management plan was developed with cooperation by faculty and the Facilities Department to guide the College’s tree care and management in 2024.
Through the Arbor Day Foundation’s vast network, Flagler will have the opportunity to connect with other Tree Campuses to learn more about sustainable forestry efforts on college campuses. Currently, there are 411 recognized tree campuses with locations across all 50 states.
As part of its designation, Flagler has formed a Tree Campus advisory committee comprised of Assistant Professor and Board-Certified Master Arborist, Dr. Don Spence (faculty representative), Executive Director of Facilities, Joe Bruce (staff representative), Grounds Manager Chris Bodor (staff representative), Owner/Certified Arborist/Consultant at Tree Medic, Inc., Mr. Eddie Conlon (public representative), Assistant Professor of Natural Science, Nicole Bishop (faculty representative), and Ms. Amy Ferrell (Flagler College student).
The Tree Campus program was founded with the mindset that trees are the hallmark of a beautiful college campus. Since its inception in 2008, the program has engaged over 19,000 students and planted over 168,000 trees on college campuses across the U.S.
Flagler College is expected to place Tree Campus signage across campus to highlight this new designation. On January 17, 2025, Flagler College will recognize Arbor Day to acknowledge the contribution that trees make to a grounded college experience and to the health and resilience of campus along with the College’s certification as a Tree campus USA. Flagler College will hold its Arbor Day celebration during the last week of April as part of the College’s Science Week.
About Flagler College
We are where history begins. We are Flagler College, a top-ranked, private, nonprofit college in the country’s oldest city, St. Augustine. We see opportunity everywhere and pursue tomorrow with boldness. Home to the Hotel Ponce de Leon, a National Historic Landmark built by railroad pioneer Henry Flagler in 1888, we are known as one of the world’s most beautiful college campuses and one of the most innovative. A spirit of entrepreneurship courses through our veins and drives us forward. Discover more at flagler.edu.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. It is a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united in the belief that trees bring people together to do great things. For more than 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has answered critical need by activating a vast network of individuals and organizations to plant trees with purpose and scale. To date, it has planted more than 500 million trees in forests and communities in more than 50 countries. And this is only the beginning.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.