Tree Campus - Sustainability at SCU - Santa Clara University

a group of students and staff posed around a newly planted tree on Arbor Day 2025

Planting a mandarin orange tree on Arbor Day,

Four SCU students, faculty, and staff members watering and packing soil around a newly planted tree

SCU community members watering and packing soil around a newly planted tree.

Five students smiling and holding shovels next to newly planted trees

Students helping plant trees on SCU's campus.

A group of students smiling and posing with tape measures and badges in front of trees on campus

Participants in the Tree Tracker program, where volunteers monitor the health of trees on campus.

People shoveling soil to plant a new tree

Students planting a new tree as part of our Arbor Day Celebration.

Three students smile and pose with their arms out next to a tree on campus

Anyone can contribute to the health of the trees around campus!

Tree Campus Higher Education is a title recognizing colleges and universities across the US that effectively manage their campus trees to develop healthy, urban forests, while also engaging the student population through service-learning and forestry efforts. SCU has been a Tree Campus since 2016.

The Center for Sustainability runs Tree Trackers, a weekly data collection session to monitor the growth and health of SCU’s trees. All Broncos are welcome to drop in!

We also host an Arbor Day celebration each year, where all are invited to help us plant a tree on campus for California Arbor Day on March 7th.

Tree Campus USA Standards

Santa Clara University has been Tree Campus Higher Education certified since 2016. There are 5 standards we need to meet in order to qualify:

1. Campus Tree Advisory Committee: meets 2-3 times a year to provide guidance for future plantings, approve the Campus Tree Care Plan, and foster an environment to educate and connect with community members through urban forestry. We have representatives from the student body, faculty, facilities, and an arborist to represent the community.

2. Campus Tree Care Plan: a goal-setting guide that provides specific details about the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees. View SCU's Tree Care Plan 2023.

3. Campus Tree Program with Dedicated Annual Expenditures: a spreadsheet to determine where funds are allocated for the annual campus tree program.

4. Arbor Day Observance: a day to educate the community about the importance of trees on campus and celebrate all the amazing things they do.

5. Service Learning Project: opportunities to engage the student body with trees on campus: Tree Plantings, SCU Gone Wild, Tree Inventory

Tree Campus Advisory Committee

Chris Young, Associate Director, Facilities Operations, University Operations

Brian Bettencourt, Grounds, Waste and Fleet Supervisor, University Operations

Dave Machado, Senior Director, Facilities Operations, University Operations

Linda Hylkema, Director of Cultural Resources Management, University Operations

Lindsey Kalkbrenner, Director, Center for Sustainability

Katie Leisenring, Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering ’25 and Center for Sustainability Facilities Operations Student Coordinator

Becca Nelson, Sustainable Food Systems Program Manager, Center for Sustainability

Janice Edgerly-Rooks, Professor, Biology Department

Michael Pistininzi, ISA Certified Arborist, Field Operations Manager, Our City Forest Community Nursery