Story by Jessica Reynold Photos by John Bugyi, Katherine Makrin and Kelbin Cruz-Quast
SUNY Oneonta students and employees rolled up their sleeves and planted 1,300 trees on the university's North Campus on Thursday, Oct. 15, helping lay the groundwork for a greener future during the semester's second Grow, Thrive, Live (GTL) Day.
The morning of service marked the launch of SUNY Oneonta's Community Reforestation (CoRe) Program, an ambitious effort to plant 9,600 trees on university property along West Street in Oneonta. Made possible through a New York state grant and a partnership with the nonprofit organization Grow Big Trees, the project aims to restore forested natural areas, increase biodiversity and capture carbon from the atmosphere.
The initiative also contributes to New York State's “25 Million Trees by 2033” goal.
Growing a Greener Future
The reforestation project is part of a larger vision for SUNY Oneonta's 60-acre North Campus property, which the university hopes to develop into a space for sustainability, recreation, education and community engagement.
Plans for the site include a community solar project, recreational field and natural amphitheater for outdoor concerts, along with nature trails and bird and wildlife observation points.
Beyond the environmental benefits, the developing forest will serve as a living laboratory for students, providing hands-on opportunities to maintain the landscape, monitor biodiversity and track ecological changes as the trees grow.
Students are already playing an active role in the project's success. Two Empire State Service Corps members working with SUNY Oneonta's Office of Sustainability—Evangeline Reinoso Moya and Alex Pizzaia—helped organize the GTL Day tree planting event, demonstrating how the initiative creates opportunities for student involvement in environmental stewardship and community service.
As the forest becomes established, the project will continue to provide opportunities for experiential learning while creating a lasting environmental resource for the campus and surrounding community.
View more photos from the tree planting
A Day to Grow, Thrive and Connect
The tree planting was one of many activities offered during SUNY Oneonta's second Grow, Thrive, Live Day, part of a new initiative that creates intentional time outside the regular class schedule for learning, connection, personal and professional development, and community.
With the theme “Life After Graduation,” the Oct. 15 GTL Day featured workshops and activities designed to help students explore career possibilities, prepare for their futures and connect with campus resources.
Students could explore graduate school applications, career paths connected to their majors and opportunities in arts and nonprofit management, while also attending workshops on building personal websites and e-portfolios, improving financial literacy and planning their spring semester courses.
The day also made room for community-building and wellbeing through activities including a Spikeball tournament, Greek Life Spirit Day, a body acceptance workshop, Halloween-themed crafts at Milne Library and a fall festival at Wilsbach Dining Hall.
Faculty and staff had opportunities for professional development, including the Fall Faculty Institute, themed Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in Uncertainty.
Together, the activities reflected the purpose of GTL Days: creating space for experiences that support students' academic, personal and professional growth beyond the classroom.
And on North Campus, that growth was quite literal, with 1,300 newly planted trees beginning what will become a lasting part of SUNY Oneonta's landscape.