Published on March 29, 2023  
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford’s Office of Sustainability partnered with the Homewood Environmental Commission in November of 2022 to host the 3rd annual Green Skies initiative. About 90 volunteers played a part to make Homewood a little greener by participating in the annual tree planting along the Shades Creek Greenway.

The Green Skies initiative is an ongoing project with the goal of rebuilding Homewood’s tree canopy. Volunteers planted 200 tree seedlings with the intention to improve bank erosion and increase tree diversity in the forest. Not only is the project saving the environment, but it is also used as an educational experience for college and high school students.

Anita Morgan, Coordinator of Sustainability, said, “Samford students want to make the earth a healthier and better place to live, and we are here to help them through encouragement and communication.”

The Green Skies initiative is important to Samford because it is an opportunity for the school to be recognized by the Alabama Forestry Commission to be a Tree Campus USA university. Samford was recognized again in 2022 for this year.

ABOUT: Sustainability at Samford is committed to advancing sustainability on campus by identifying areas for improvement, collaborating across campus to support green initiatives, programs, and progress, and providing leadership and guidance for campus sustainability efforts. Sustainability Coordinator, Anita Morgan has a passion for the environment and because of this took on a full-time job focusing on how to improve Samford’s campus. Sustainability at Samford has been very successful, and its students are involved outside of the campus to support the community.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.