Mt. SAC Named Tree Campus - Again!

For the third year in a row, Mt. SAC has the distinction of being named a “Tree Campus Higher Education” by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Mt. SAC has a lot to be proud about when it comes to trees. Spanning 420 acres, the campus is home to more than 3,000 trees representing 214 unique species.

Sixteen California colleges and universities are “tree campuses” and Mt. SAC is one of only three California community colleges to earn the special recognition. Mt SAC met five standards including the establishment of a campus tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, and the creation of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

If Mt. SAC’s trees had a fan club, there’s no doubt that one of its biggest supporters would be Eera Babtiwale, the college’s director of Sustainability.

“They are part of our community, and you could say they are part of our family…they are more than just ornamental,” said Babtiwale. “They’re literally an organ to this campus. Our trees support every aspect of our daily lives. They are these things of beauty for sure but it’s astonishing how much work they are doing in the background.”

That work includes removing pollutants from the air which supports lung health, providing shade and humidity which combats heat island effect, and capturing storm water which replenishes local aquifers. According to a study conducted in 2022, the college’s trees capture nearly 26 tons of carbon per year and remove nearly 1 ton of pollution.

Beyond these benefits, research shows that being around trees helps reduce blood pressure and stress and may even help the immune system. Babtiwale said having an urban forest is a vital resource too for those students who live in areas where green space or shade is limited or nonexistent.

“People come to Mt. SAC certainly because of the education but what we also don’t realize is that the college is giving them access to a lot of basic resources (clean air, clean water, shade) that we otherwise take for granted,” she said, adding that Mt. SAC has the ability to serve as a model for other colleges to follow. “There are so many campuses in Southern California, Los Angeles and Inland Empire that could benefit from trees. If we could become a tree campus, it’s within reason that others could too.”