Riverside, Calif. (Dec. 05, 2015) – Seventy-five students, faculty and staff at California Baptist University observed Autumn Arbor Day with a campus service project on Dec. 3.

Participants were assigned to teams to help trim citrus trees around the historic Hawthorne House and to lay down new mulch.

Amy Graham, a biology freshman, said the event was a new experience for her.

“I have never had the opportunity to take care of trees,” Graham said. “I just really enjoyed giving back to the community. I want to make my campus beautiful and want to have an impact.”

Eric Lewis, an environmental science senior, enjoyed the camaraderie between students during the event.

“This event will help make the campus look better and is a great way of serving others, and we also get to build relationships with other students,” Lewis said. “Stuff like this builds character.”

John Fyne-Nsofor, an environmental science senior, said CBU does a good job of being environmentally conscious. 

“When CBU heard about the drought [in California], they took out a lot of the plants and changed their watering habits. They then put in more drought-resistant plants, and they are installing more mulch instead of grass,” Fyne-Nsofor said.

CBU is one of 11 higher education institutions in California designated as a Tree Campus USA college by a program implemented by the Arbor Day Foundation.