Leaf-ing an impact: NIU to plant hundreds of trees

DeKALB – Hundreds of trees soon will take root on Northern Illinois University‘s DeKalb campus, made possible by almost $500,000 from a Lisle arboretum.

Through the Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative, NIU was awarded $475,000 to plant as many as 450 trees over a four-year period, according to a university announcement this month.

NIU President Lisa Freeman said the primary benefactors of the tree-planting program will be students.

“This exciting project supports our goals for enhancing climate resilience through increased shade coverage in highly trafficked areas, which is especially important for students who rely on walking or biking,” Freeman said in a news release. “This project additionally offers exciting opportunities for student involvement through internships, capstone projects and community outreach initiatives.”

NIU isn’t the only local entity to benefit from the arboretum’s program. The city of DeKalb announced in January that it plans to plant 50 trees with help from a $255,300 grant.

Sycamore, maple, birch and elm trees, which are known for their shade, will find new homes near residence halls and busy walking paths. Some even will offer a treat tastier than a respite from the sun.

More than 10% of the trees that will be planted through the initiative will grow fruits and nuts, according NIU. The bounty those trees bear will be used by campus dining services and donated to NIU’s Huskie Food Pantry.

Bryan Flower, assistant director for food systems innovation in the NIU Office of Innovation, said the university also intends to install plants and trees native to Illinois. The plants and trees will benefit each other in groups to create mini ecosystems.

“We’ll be surrounding a sapling or saplings with other food or flower-bearing plants, so the trees won’t just stand alone,” Flower said in a news release. “We hope to create these as free-to-pick areas.”

University officials haven’t yet finalized what kind of fruit and nut trees they’ll plant. Pawpaw and walnut trees are contenders, according to the university.

Courtney Gallaher, NIU’s director of campus sustainability, will lead the project. She said students will help identify where to plant the trees. Student groups also will take inventory and care for the plants.

Gallaher said she’s particularly excited for how the project will reshape university grounds.

“There are parts of campus that have lots of trees, and other areas, particularly near student housing, which have low canopy cover,” Gallaher said in a news release.

Shade-producing trees can help cool local area temperatures, especially in urban areas with hot and dry climates, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Although that study was conducted in Baltimore; Los Angeles; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Miami; Tucson, Arizona; Denver; and Las Vegas, the temperature difference created by trees also can be felt in DeKalb, Gallaher said.

“In places where we don’t have a lot of tree coverage on campus, the outdoor temperatures are an average of 2 to 3 degrees hotter,” Gallaher said. “Adding more shade to our campus will make it easier for everyone to cope with the summer heat and walk around campus.”

NIU was picked among 40 nonprofits, government agencies and other groups for the $475,000 grant. The Inflation Reduction Act funding came through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative.

Zach Wirtz, director of the trees initiative, said NIU’s plan could benefit the community in more ways than one.

“Improving the distribution of trees and green spaces directly impacts the health and economic outcomes for communities,” Wirtz said in a news release. “Projects like this improve quality of life and boost the urban tree canopy’s resilience to threats posed by environmental conditions, pests and diseases.”