The Campus Arboretum Committee was founded in 2013 to ensure the continued health and longevity of the Arboretum. A subcommittee of the Campus Master Planning Committee, this group provides guidance and oversight for decisions affecting the campus tree population, arranges the planting of class trees, and makes decisions on the proposed removal of trees. It is convened by the Director of Sustainability and a Faculty Co-Chair, and comprises the members of the Tree Care Group below and other interested faculty, staff, administrators, and students from across the college.

Tree Care

Tree care and maintenance are the purview of the Vassar grounds manager and the grounds staff, following a Tree Care Plan approved by the Arboretum Committee. The Tree Care Plan identifies policies, procedures, and practices that are used in establishing, protecting, maintaining, and removing trees on the Vassar campus.

Given the importance of our campus tree canopy for ecological, esthetic, historic, and health reasons, it is the policy of the Arboretum Committee that a tree can be removed only if it has become a clear safety hazard, or if it is too diseased or damaged to survive. Even then, the decision is not taken lightly. Removing a tree requires consensus among the members of the Tree Care Group listed below. If safety and aesthetic considerations allow, a portion of the tree is retained as a snag, which provides wildlife habitat and allows the natural process of decay to occur. The removal guidelines also call for replacement of each tree that is removed.

Tree Care Group

• Yvonne Elet, Professor of the History of Art and Architecture, Faculty Co-chair of ArbCom
• Kenneth Foster, Director of Sustainability, Co-chair of ArbCom
• Dean Jaeger, Grounds Manager
• Margaret Ronsheim, Professor of Biology
• Jen Rubbo, Director of the Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns
• Keri Van Camp, Director of the Preserve at Vassar

Current Work and Ongoing Projects

• Maintaining tree canopy health
• Increasing carbon sequestration
• Planning Class tree ceremonies
• Record keeping for Arboretum, Class, and Memorial trees
• Reviewing new construction landscaping
• Mitigating invasive species
• Supporting multidisciplinary use of the space
• Maintaining accreditation of ArbNet, Tree Campus USA, and Bee Campus USA

Communicating Concerns

If you have concerns about the removal of a tree, are worried that a tree has become a safety hazard, or want to learn more about the work of the Arboretum Committee, please contact the co-chairs at arboretum@vassar.edu.