{"689911":{"#nid":"689911","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Arboretum Earns ArbNet Recertification","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Georgia Tech, the campus arboretum is more than a designated area of trees. It is the entire campus. Walkways, quads, greens, and streetscapes are all part of a curated landscape carefully selected to thrive in an urban environment. It is also a place where memories are made, from everyday gatherings under the canopy to photos that capture an important milestone. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt would be great if the trees could talk, if our arboretum could tell stories,\u201d Georgia Tech landscape architect Jason Gregory says. With trees on campus that are more than 100 years old, those stories could be history lessons about the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/arboretum\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecampus arboretum\u003C\/a\u003E was recently recertified by ArbNet, the global network of tree professionals and tree collections organized for knowledge sharing, resources, and conservation. With more than 15,000 trees and over 130 species across campus \u2014 including two palm trees \u2014 the arboretum supports research, education, and preservation and provides public enjoyment. Environmental benefits include reducing heat, managing stormwater, improving air quality, increasing soil porosity, sequestering carbon, and supporting campus wildlife. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s designation as a Level II Arboretum reflects its commitment to biodiversity and documenting its tree species, offering advanced educational and public programs, and maintaining policies for the inventory and care of its trees. This year marks a decade since Georgia Tech first earned arboretum certification.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2023, Tech also received the Professional Grounds Management Society\u2019s Green Star Grand Award with a 23% campus tree canopy. Today, nearly 30% of the campus is covered by tree canopy, creating a greener, cooler, and more welcoming environment while underscoring the Institute\u2019s commitment to responsible landscape stewardship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have an interactive map online that allows users to explore the genus, species, height, and diameter of every tree on campus. The inventory process is a five-year cycle in which one zone of campus is inventoried each year,\u201d says Annabelle Manville, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/job-opportunities\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELiving Campus Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E for the Office of Sustainability. Gregory says the inventory data helps inform campus planning and support sustainability goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech looks to the future, the campus arboretum will serve as both a living laboratory and a shared campus treasure that connects people to place, past to present, and sustainability to daily life. Through thoughtful stewardship, ongoing research, and intentional care, the Institute\u2019s trees will continue to shape the campus environment and the experiences of those who study, work, and gather beneath their canopy. Each tree adds another chapter to Georgia Tech\u2019s story \u2014 one rooted in history, resilience, and a long-term commitment to a greener campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe entire Georgia Tech campus is a certified arboretum.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The entire Georgia Tech campus is a certified arboretum."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-04-21 14:20:34","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 14:52:24","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680010":{"id":"680010","type":"image","title":"GT-Arboretum--1-.png","body":null,"created":"1776781604","gmt_created":"2026-04-21 14:26:44","changed":"1776781604","gmt_changed":"2026-04-21 14:26:44","alt":"Image of thriving, green Tech campus.","file":{"fid":"264243","name":"GT-Arboretum--1-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/GT-Arboretum--1-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/GT-Arboretum--1-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2148736,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/21\/GT-Arboretum--1-.png?itok=mvCO32-Q"}},"680012":{"id":"680012","type":"image","title":"TechCampusTreesAtlantaSkyline.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Green surrounded by trees with the Midtown skyline in the background.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776782995","gmt_created":"2026-04-21 14:49:55","changed":"1776782995","gmt_changed":"2026-04-21 14:49:55","alt":"Tech Green surrounded by trees with the Midtown skyline in the background.","file":{"fid":"264245","name":"TechCampusTreesAtlantaSkyline.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/TechCampusTreesAtlantaSkyline.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/TechCampusTreesAtlantaSkyline.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":519075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/21\/TechCampusTreesAtlantaSkyline.jpg?itok=1c5ZcWii"}}},"media_ids":["680010","680012"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193728","name":"I\u0026S News"},{"id":"129761","name":"arboretum"},{"id":"8758","name":"tree canopy"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElena Domenech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Student Assistant\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Edomenech6@gatech.edu","cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}