About the Tree Fund
Guess what our budget is to purchase plant materials for
our campus? One thousand dollars a year!! This means that as
trees are removed, there is no money to buy new trees to replace them. With
our current budget woes, this figure is not likely to be increased. Donations
to the Tree Fund will help us purchase and plant trees to maintain our campus.
In addition to planting new trees, we need your
help in taking care of our existing trees. The campus has an aging tree population,
with many declining specimens. The health of many trees has been adversely affected
by construction damage, compacted soil, and poor cultural practices. The Tree
Fund will provide diagnostic tools to evaluate tree health and hazard, and also
pay for special projects such as a support system for the old buckeye in Faculty
Glade.
Our alumni, and others who care about the University, are well known for their devotion to Berkeley, and have been extremely generous over the years. But until now, fundraising efforts have been focused on traditional needs such as buildings, academic programs and athletics. The Tree Fund, administered by Grounds Operations, enables donors to contribute directly to the tree care operation.
"The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for one hundred years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!' "
John F. Kennedy -- UC Berkeley Charter Day, 1962