From Roots to QR Codes: A New Way to Explore Campus Trees

On Wednesday, April 22, the Berg Tree Advisory Committee and the Alliance for Sustainability hosted an Arbor Day and Earth Day celebration in the Estep Garden.

The event featured guest speaker Mike Pinkston of the Tiffin Shade Tree and Beautification Commission, who shared his perspective on the importance of trees in the community and highlighted the Commission’s role in enhancing and maintaining Tiffin’s urban forest.

Following the presentation, the Alliance for Sustainability unveiled a new project designed to connect the campus community more closely with its natural surroundings. The initiative introduced QR codes placed next to multiple trees across campus, allowing visitors to scan and access digital fact sheets with information about each tree species. Attendees were among the first to explore the project and learn more about the diversity of trees on campus.

This marks the second consecutive year the university has been designated a Tree Campus Higher Education institution by the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees and promoting tree care and environmental stewardship around the world.