Trees on Campus

Having Treasured Trees on campus is a way to recognize the contributions that these special trees make to A-B Tech’s campus. From the Beech tree at the center of campus to the Ginkgo tree dedicated to a cherished faculty member, each tree makes its own contribution. Asheville’s GreenWorks Treasured Tree program honors unique and special trees in the community. Over recent years, Asheville’s urban tree canopy has declined and trees serve vital functions in reducing the urban heat island effect, absorbing excess runoff from storm events, and reducing airborne pollutants. By having designated treasured trees on campus, A-B Tech shows a commitment to preserving campus trees and maintaining the urban tree canopy, therefore, helping to alleviate a variety of environmental problems. Self-guided Tour of Treasured Trees on Campus. Visit Treasured Trees to learn more.

Want To Learn More About Trees And Tree Identification?

Take Introductory Botany (BIO-120)

This course provides an introduction to the classification, relationships, structure, and function of plants.

There Are Many Ways To Spend Time With Trees For You And Your Family

• Where to visit trees or forests in/near Asheville
• Local Organizations/Information
• State Agencies for Information and Jobs in Forestry
• Advocacy and Education
• Fun for Families and Children

A-B Tech Is Applying To Be A Tree Campus Higher Education

Learn about being a Tree Campus - The Arbor Day Foundation has a long-running successful program called Tree City USA. (Asheville is a Tree City.) Their Tree Campus program is applying the same strategy to college campuses. Participating colleges and universities will develop plans to protect their trees and involve local communities.

To learn more about this program visit Arbor Day Tree Campus

Arbor Day Foundation

Go to the Arbor Day Foundation to learn more about:

• Tree Identification
• Planting and Care
• The Power of Trees
• Shopping for trees
• Participate in Arbor Day Celebrations
  Participate in Arbor Day Celebrations – Arbor Day 2024 will be on April 26, 2024. AB Tech activities on or near that day will include our Biology Department Plant Sale, Invasive Plant removal, and Nature Trail maintenance.

Invasive Plant Removal

• RiverLink has removed invasive plant species from the Haith Branch adjacent to A-B Tech Victoria Road Campus.
• The Sustainability Committee has Invasive Plant removal days to keep the number of invasive plants down across campus. Invasive Plant Removal – The main invasive species that impact the A-B Tech campus are found throughout Western North Carolina. All of them are native to Asia, which is not a coincidence. Eastern China is part of the world most similar in climate and geography to the Eastern US. Plants that arrive in a similar, but new ecosystem often thrive because they are no longer limited by herbivores or diseases that evolved with them back home.
• Kudzu (Pueraria montana) — a famous exotic plant with broad leaves that can cover almost any other vegetation (and your house).
• Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) — a vine that can smother trees or break their branches.
• Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) — another vine, one that climbs counter-clockwise around tree trunks. It has often been planted in garden trellises for its pretty drooping flowers.