Trees Please

More than 80 people, including Brenda Drake, wife of Ohio State President Michael V. Drake, gathered April 27 to celebrate trees with Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens in honor of Arbor Day.

The celebration included several honors, awards, and dedications. The 62-acre public arboretum, part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, (CFAES) is located on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

For the seventh year in a row, Ohio State earned a Tree Campus USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation. Ohio State has received the distinction each year since it first applied in 2011. This honor highlights the university’s commitment to creating and maintaining a healthy tree population.

To obtain the Tree Campus USA recognition, Ohio State had to meet five core standards for sustainable campus forestry including having a tree advisory committee, maintaining a tree-care plan, observing Arbor Day, sponsoring student learning projects, and having dedicated funds that support a campus tree program.

Mary Maloney, Chadwick director, presented the following awards and recognitions:

• The International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist recognition went to Peter Aldag, an arborist with Ohio State who is certified with the International Society of Arboriculture.
• The 2018 Lorax Awards, presented to those who advocate and speak for trees, went to Lauren Farr, senior graphic designer with CFAES Marketing and Communications; Beth Finnerty, Chadwick volunteer; David Gardner, associate professor, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science; Dave Giesler, horticulturist; George Peach, Chadwick volunteer; and Elliot Schaffer, Chadwick volunteer and emeritus ISA Certified Arborist.

• Chadwick Arboretum Collaborator’s Award presented to Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed.
• Chadwick Arboretum Aesculus Lifetime Achievement Award to Ohio State University Extension horticulture educator and plant pathologist Jim Chatfield for his work with Why Trees Matter. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of CFAES.
• The dedication of 25 native trees, sourced from Dave Struve, professor emeritus, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and planted at Ohio State’s Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) during ArboBlitz 2017. ArboBlitz is a service learning event for students, faculty, and staff.

Maloney also announced the Spring Plant Sale and Auction, to be held May 10-12 on the northwest corner of Lane Avenue and Fred Taylor Drive, just east of State Route 315 on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Times are: May 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; May 11, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; and May 12, 8 a.m-3 p.m. For more information, go to: cfaes.osu.edu/news/events/spring-plant-sale.

The sale and auction are the main fundraiser for the arboretum. Offered will be trees, shrubs, herbs, annuals, perennials, vegetables, hanging baskets, garden art, Mother’s Day gifts, and more.