Media Relations

Date: Thursday, January 31st, 2013

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WKU is a Tree Campus USA for the third year in a row, the Arbor Day Foundation announced Thursday (Jan. 31).

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Toyota helped launch the program and continues its generous financial support this year.

WKU achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for all of us.”

“Toyota is so proud to support a program that we believe has a tremendous impact on both reducing the environmental footprint of a college campus and inspiring college students to become the conservation leaders of the future,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation.

“The Tree Campus USA designation is an honor that reflects our ongoing commitment to nurturing a healthy urban forest at WKU,” Josh Twardowski, Manager of Campus Services, said.  “Although storms, drought, and disturbance continue to be challenges, we have a responsibility to be stewards of the landscape and strive to preserve, protect and further enhance the campus through dedicated pruning, watering and planting new trees every year.”

The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota have helped campuses throughout the country plant hundreds of thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested $23 million in campus forest management last year. More information about the program is available online.

About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.

About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates   10 manufacturing plants.  Toyota directly employs over 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.  Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $600 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For information on Toyota’s commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit toyota.com/philanthropy.

Contact: Sean Barry, (402) 473-9563; or Luis Rosero, (212) 715-7493.