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VWU Earns 2026 Tree Campus Recognition
Arbor Day Foundation acknowledges the University’s commitment to enhancing the environment
University News | February 4, 2026
The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉútv once again as a 2026 Tree Campus for its dedication to enhancing community well-being through tree education, investment, and community engagement.
The Arbor Day Foundation, considered the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to tree planting, launched the Tree Campus Higher Education program in 2008. The initiative recognizes colleges and universities for their effective campus forest management and student engagement in conservation.The global nonprofit has a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than one million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972. The Tree Campus program recognizes schools, universities, and healthcare facilities that utilize trees to improve their communities.
Virginia Wesleyan continues to uphold the designation by meeting the program’s five core standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee, developing a campus tree-care plan, allocating dedicated funding, observing Arbor Day, and involving students in service-learning projects.
This distinction, first awarded to ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉútv in 2023, was achieved through the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Director of Sustainability. President Scott D. Miller noted that the recognition reflects the dedicated work of Dr. Malcolm, VWU faculty, staff, students, and volunteers.
“As a coastal institution, Virginia Wesleyan embraces environmental stewardship as a core value—deeply integrated into our curriculum, our operations, and our identity,” said President Miller. “Thanks to Dr. Malcolm’s continued leadership, we are proud to once again earn the Tree Campus designation—an affirmation of both our mission and our momentum.”
“Trees have the power to inspire learning and improve well-being,” said Michelle Saulnier, vice president of programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “By growing campus green spaces, forward-thinking higher education leaders like VWU are cultivating vibrant learning communities that also benefit the greater environment.”
Trees on campus can lower the energy cost of campus facilities by providing shade cover, reducing extreme heat, improving air quality and boosting physical health benefits for students and staff. In addition, trees improve students' mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for gathering and studying. 
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus program is operated in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and support from professional partner Bartlett Tree Experts. To learn more about the program, visit .