In FY25, Pitt reinforced its commitment to the urban canopy through hands-on events, tree care workshops, and the planting of 82 new trees, enhancing community engagement and supporting greening efforts on campus and in Oakland.
In 2018, the University of Pittsburgh developed and committed to the Pitt Sustainability Plan. Since then, the university community has taken large steps towards a particular Sustainability Plan goal to achieve 31.25 acres of tree canopy by 2030. The University’s tandem efforts of cultivating our existing trees and planting more trees has led to nearly 200 Pitt Tree Tenders and 82 trees planted as of 2024. Pitt’s work on its tree canopy led to being awarded the Tree Campus Higher Education designation from the Arbor Day Foundation in 2021.
Trees by the Numbers
- Nearly 4,000 trees on campus
- 29.95 acres of canopy coverage
- 82 new trees planted in 2024
- Goal: 31.25 acres of canopy by 2030
- 241 Pitt community members have become certified Tree Tenders
Event Highlights
- Street Tree Care with Pitt Tree Tenders on July 25, 2024 (pictured above) – Pitt Tree Tenders volunteered with Tree Pittsburgh to take care of 25 street trees around the Zulema Parklet by removing weeds from root zones and mulched to ensure they could retain moisture during hot summer days. The 25 trees they cultivated will have a much better chance at surviving to adulthood and contributing to the regional tree canopy thanks to their efforts.
- Campus Fall Colors Tree Walk on October 18, 2024 – A series of two campus tree walks were led this past fall by a Tree Pittsburgh educator. On the walks, attendees learned about the tree species on campus, why trees change colors in the fall, and identification techniques. Â
- Pitt Tree Tender Training on November 1, 2024 (pictured above) – This in-person training was hosted by Pitt and led by local nonprofit Tree Pittsburgh. Participants received a 6-hour in-depth training on the benefit of trees, the state of the City of Pittsburgh’s tree canopy, planting and pruning methods, and threats to the urban forest. It concluded with an in-depth tree identification walk around campus where attendees learned about the variety of tree species on campus and Pitt’s sustainable landscape practices. This training is also available to Pitt community members in asynchronous form online. Â
- Tree Pruning Volunteer Day on January 31, 2025 – Ten volunteers pruned 36 trees in Oakland.
- Street Tree Expansion Workshop on March 28, 2025 (pictured below) – The university’s Office of Sustainability and Tree Pittsburgh partnered to give the Pittsburgh community hands-on tree survey training. Attendees learned how to evaluate sidewalks for urban tree planting potential and how to consider power/gas lines and sidewalk accessibility.
- Campus Tree Walk on April 11, 2025 – Now in the spring, attendees explored the new buds and blooms on campus trees, and learned how to identify them.
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