Visitors to UTC are often surprised to see our lush green campus right in the middle of the downtown concrete jungle.
To preserve the campus plant life, an effort has made to catalog the diverse collection of trees and shrubs for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes, and application is being made to have the campus recognized as an urban arboretum.
“We want to educate people about the importance of species diversity and urban trees. This project will hopefully encourage urban tree conservation along with inspiring visitors to appreciate trees more,” said Jillian Koss, an environmental science graduate student at UTC who has worked on the arboretum project.
“The heritage of the UTC urban forest includes trees that pre-date the campus, and the oldest trees may be more than 100 years old. Within the 120 acre campus, there are nearly 2,000 trees and woody plants represented by more than 60 species,” said Collins.
The UTC Arboretum serves the Chattanooga community by providing a special place that conserves and displays the plants that enhance Chattanooga’s urban environment.
According to Dr. Hill Craddock, professor of biological and environmental sciences, and Linda Collins, associate professor of biological and environmental sciences, urban trees provide many environmental benefits including:
- enhancing aesthetic value
- removing air pollutants
- producing oxygen
- lowering air temperatures
- providing wind breaks
- cooling buildings
- preventing erosion
- removing carbon dioxide
A specimen of each known tree species on campus has been labeled with signs that give the tree’s common and species names.
BECOME A FRIEND
Friends of the UTC Arboretum provide financial support to plant new trees on campus and maintain our existing urban forest. Become a Friend by sending a gift to:
Friends of the Arboretum
Dept 6806
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Or you can donate online.
