WNMU students plant trees as part of the university's Arbor Day celebration, Sept. 20, 2024SILVER CITY, NM – While most people associate Arbor Day with the month of April, Western New Mexico University held its own Arbor Day celebration Friday, September 20, 2024.

Holding the annual celebration is one of the standards that WNMU maintains to be an official Tree Campus, named by the Arbor Day Foundation through its Tree Campus Higher Education program. The university has held this status since 2023.

The Tree Campus Higher Education program provides a simple framework for colleges and universities to grow their community forests, achieve national recognition, and create a campus their students and staff are proud of.

"For our event we planted a row of peach trees, berries, and herbs in our all-edible landscape project on the future food security site," said WNMU Horticulture Coordinator Chala Werber, referring to the site off Mississippi Street where the university plans to construct a greenhouse and develop a sustainable garden as part of its food security and sustainability initiative.

The event was attended by both students and staff, including several WNMU international students and members of the Horticulture Club. Following the planting session, those in attendance gathered for a feast that featured produce from the Horticulture Club garden.

According to Werber, this was the first event to include the entire WNMU "Green Team": campus horticulture, urban forestry, and food security and sustainability.

"It was a treat to share the beautiful afternoon with students from around the world and passionate WNMU staff as we all came together to celebrate trees and share a harvest feast," said Werber.