St. Clair County Community College has been named one of just 33 communities and organizations in Michigan to receive a grant awarded by a partnership of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, DTE Energy Foundation and nonprofit ReLeaf Michigan. SC4 – a past awardee and the only college or university in Michigan awarded the grant this year – will receive $1,500 to support the purchase and planting of 12 trees on campus.
SC4 continues to take a strategic approach to help the college grow, be sustainable and positively impact the communities it serves. This grant supports SC4’s commitment to environmental stewardship and represents one of the college’s many green initiatives.
“We’re thrilled to once again receive this grant and look forward to having the new trees on campus,” said SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder.
The trees proposed for planting on SC4’s campus were selected from a list developed by faculty members interested in both variety and environmental impact. Tulip, Black Walnut, Hop Hornbeam Ironwood, Northern Catalpa, Sassafras and American Beech trees will be planted on campus in the coming months, intercepting approximately 448 gallons of stormwater runoff and reducing atmospheric carbon by about 352 pounds annually.*
According to the Michigan DNR, “the tree planting grant program is part of an initiative supporting environmental care; since the program’s founding, nearly 46,000 trees and seedlings have been planted in more than 500 communities.”
* Calculations obtained from Arbor Day Foundation and Broadleaf Deciduous Medium.
