Penn College News

Crabapples grace 10th year of 'Tree Campus'

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Photos provided by Carl J. Bower Jr., assistant professor of horticulture

Honoring Arbor Day and the 10th year of Penn College's Tree Campus Higher Education designation, students in the Woody Plants morning lab plant a crabapple tree at the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

For the 10th year, Pennsylvania College of Technology has received notification of its Tree Campus Higher Education designation, and students marked the milestone by planting crabapple trees at the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Arbor Day.

The trees were planted during the morning and afternoon labs by students enrolled in the Woody Plants course, part of the second semester curriculum in the landscape/plant production technology Associate of Applied Science degree major. The course is taught by Carl J. Bower Jr., assistant professor of horticulture.

Tree Campus Higher Education was founded in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to foster a tradition of excellence and recognize green colleges and universities. Standards for recognition include having a campus tree advisory committee, a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures, observing Arbor Day and creating a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body. In addition to highlighting the physical and mental health benefits of green spaces, the Tree Campus program seeks to support colleges and universities in growing their community forests and in educating the next generation on the importance of caring for the environment.

Landscape/plant production technology students in the afternoon lab of the Woody Plants course also plant a crabapple tree as part of the college recognition.