In celebration of Earth Day, the Lehigh Carbon Community College Sustainability Committee held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 21 to dedicate the newly planted arboretum on the main campus.

The ceremony was held in the Outdoor Classroom Pavilion 1 (next to parking lot F) located between Berrier Hall and the Rothrock Library on the college’s main Schnecksville campus.

In addition to the ceremonial dedication of the young trees, attendees had an opportunity to view some of the natural elements that have been developed on the main campus site over the past few years.

Walking tours were led by students and biology faculty who have played an integral role in the development of three pollinator gardens and wildflower meadow.

The college planted 24 trees as part of the arboretum project funded by the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor through the Lehigh Valley Greenways Grant Program.

Trees were planted on the southwest side of campus near the Rothrock Library and Berrier Hall.

The Greenways grant builds on the efforts of students in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society who completed a detailed inventory of the trees on campus.

The arboretum is a continuation of a vision to create a micro-ecosystem on campus, building on the new pollinator gardens, meadow garden and outdoor classrooms.

The Schnecksville campus occupies acreage bordering the Trexler Nature Preserve on land that was formerly orchards.

These conservation projects demonstrate best practices in land management and ensure viability of the campus micro-ecosystem for future generations.

For additional information, contact Mary Kovalchick at mkovalchick@lccc.edu.