Penn State Harrisburg joins Commonwealth Arboreta Network

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg has joined the Penn State Commonwealth Arboreta Network (CAN), a program that helps inventory and catalog tree species on campus and creates experiential learning and collaborative research opportunities, as well as campus beautification for students, alumni and friends of the Penn State community.

The Commonwealth Arboreta Network aims to connect all Penn State campuses through a collaborative of faculty and staff dedicated to the trees on campuses and using the "living laboratories" to help improve environmental knowledge and appreciation. The initiative began with seven campuses and has grown to 15.

On the Harrisburg campus, the initiative is being led by Purnima Neogi, assistant teaching professor of biology; James Mutunga, assistant professor of biology; Mitch Spear, research project manager; and Mike Roth, grounds division supervisor.

"Joining the Commonwealth Arboreta Network supports our goal of using the arboretum as a 'living laboratory' to expand opportunities for research, teaching and outreach," Neogi said.

The Arboretum at Penn State Harrisburg spans the college's 218-acre campus. To date, more than 800 trees representing over 45 species have been tagged. The inventory and tagging of trees, including use of an interactive web platform called ArborScope, was provided by Bartlett Tree Experts.

"Through our partnership with Bartlett Tree Experts, each member campus gets extensive access to data about their trees," said Kay Fleischner, program assistant for the Commonwealth Arboreta Network.

One result is a public-facing tree map for Penn State Harrisburg that allows users to explore campus trees. It also includes advanced analytic tools that researchers and the Office of Physical Plant can use to support landscape management.

"These data are also a powerful resource for student success," said Mary Ann Smith, faculty chair for the network. "Faculty can integrate the tree map into coursework across disciplines, supporting Penn State's university-wide priority of experiential learning by helping students better understand the natural environment around them."

Neogi said she hopes to use these resources in plant biology courses, inviting representatives from Bartlett to speak in the class, and Mutunga plans to incorporate arboretum-based research projects focused on tree diversity, pollinator gardens and biodiversity.

There also are plans to add trees and planting areas, such as along the creek near the Engineering Technology Laboratory to the current inventory and to incorporate the campus' natural woodland areas into the effort to strengthen the campus ecological profile.

"Moving forward, we hope to expand and enhance additional campus activities and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among ecologists, artists and students," Neogi said. "We plan to invite students from the School of Humanities to develop creative interpretations of trees for display at the corresponding tree locations."

Fleischner said that by participating in the Commonwealth Arboreta Network, campuses receive support in pursuing official arboretum accreditation through ArbNet, the only accreditation program for arboreta. In February, the Harrisburg campus achieved Level I accreditation.

According to Casey Sclar, Commonwealth Arboreta Network director and H.O. Smith Endowed Director of The Arboretum at Penn State on the University Park campus, the effort represents the only initiative of its kind by a land-grant university to amass and share tree data across an entire statewide campus system.

"We're thrilled that Penn State Harrisburg has joined the Commonwealth Arboreta Network," Sclar said. "Together, all of our campuses strengthen Penn's Woods and enhance our ability to engage in Penn State's commitment to excellence in student education as well as engage the entire commonwealth to fulfill Penn State's 21st century land-grant mission."