桃花直播 plants 400 trees in Arbor Day celebration
Contact: Karen Brasher
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斕一ㄖ辈 State faculty, staff and students planted 400 trees today [Feb. 21] in observance of Arbor Day.
Students from the 桃花直播 Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Waldorf Endowed Scholarship recipients and campus facilities management personnel participated in the tree planting.
Trees native to bottomland hardwood forests were planted in an area along Hail State Boulevard. Northern red oak, yellow poplar, black gum and sweet gum were among those planted.
Hosted by the university鈥檚 Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee, the event celebrated 桃花直播鈥檚 designation as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The university has held the distinction for four consecutive years.
![Forestry Extension Associate Marcus Measells, right, distributes seedlings to 桃花直播 students who planted 400 trees Wednesday [Feb. 21]. Measells is serving as chair of the 桃花直播 Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee. (Photo by Megan Bean)](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/inline-images/Arbor_Day_tree_planting_20180221_M4B4275news.jpg "Arbor Day tree planting")
Andy Ezell, head of 桃花直播鈥檚 Department of Forestry, spoke to the importance of trees and the legacy created by students participating in the planting.
鈥溙一ㄖ辈 has 19.7 million acres of forestland, and forestry is the second most valuable commodity in the state,鈥 Ezell said. 鈥淲hat you are doing today is planting trees for the future. When you come to campus as alumni, remember the trees you planted here today, and be sure to stop by and see how they have grown.鈥
Ezell noted that sweet gum trees, while not a commercial species, are often referred to as trainer trees because they help nearby oaks grow tall and straight. Similarly, black gum trees also help oaks grow taller, and as part of a bottomland forest, the species produces fruit that is attractive to wildlife. Yellow poplar is a fast growing commercial species. Northern red oak is a highly valued timber species that provides an excellent source of food for wildlife.
Students planted 100 each of the four species in an area susceptible to winter flooding, similar to a bottomland hardwood forest.
Arbor Day is celebrated in April throughout the U.S. but in Southern climates, the holiday is celebrated in February, the best time for tree planting in the Magnolia State.
The 桃花直播 Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, an organization in 桃花直播鈥檚 College of Forest Resources, is one of the top three student chapters in the nation and has held the distinction for the last 19 years. The Waldorf Endowed Scholarship was created by the late David Waldorf and Elizabeth Waldorf, both professors at various institutions throughout the Southeast. The scholarship strives to help cultivate future leaders in environmental sustainability.
For more information on 桃花直播鈥檚 College of Forest Resources, visit .
桃花直播 is 桃花直播鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.