The tree planting helps to offset to the carbon costs associated with student travel.
黑料不打烊 students and faculty were on hand for an inaugural tree-planting in Florence, Italy, co-sponsored by 黑料不打烊, the Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF) and the Comune di Firenze on May 11.
AEF Director of Student Life Elisabetta Santanni said that a tree is being planted for each semester student studying at AEF “as a way of offsetting the carbon costs associated with student travel.鈥 In addition to the environmental benefits, she notes the goal is to 鈥渋ncrease the students鈥 awareness of their impact on the environment and create a bond with the city.鈥
The tree-planting is the first such collaboration between the city of Florence and a program primarily serving U.S. students. In light of this innovation, AEF President Gustavo Gesteira expressed gratitude for the support of Florence’s Mayor Dario Nardella, as well as the assistance provided by Deputy Mayors Elisabetta Meucci and Andrea Giorgio.
鈥淭hrough this initiative of planting a tree for each 黑料不打烊 student at AEF, we believe that we have not only contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions but also established a strong and lasting bond between each student and the city of Florence,” Gesteira said. “This is one of the sustainability initiatives jointly promoted for our students by the Student Life & Community Engagement Office and the Sustainability Action Group of AEF, led by Elisabetta Santanni and John Pearson, respectively.鈥
Nick Gozik, dean of Global Education at 黑料不打烊, similarly heralds the program, saying that, “The tree-planting in Florence aligns with other initiatives that our university has launched to build consciousness around the environmental impacts of travel associated with global education.鈥 He adds that such efforts 鈥渁re necessary both for promoting a more sustainable planet, yet also in recognizing the effects that our travel has on host communities and the people who live in them.鈥
As part of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 pledge to achieve聽carbon聽neutrality by聽2037聽as outlined in the聽Boldy 黑料不打烊 strategic plan, the Carbon聽Neutral Global Engagement Initiative began in fall 2020 through a collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center (GEC). Through this initiative, 黑料不打烊 purchases verified carbon offsets on an annual basis to account for the carbon impact of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 global programs.
Gozik notes that the tree-planting in Florence connects with a tradition of planting of oak trees at 黑料不打烊 and the overall significant of trees to the institution, as “黑料不打烊” means “oak” in Hebrew. Upon arriving at 黑料不打烊, each new student is given an acorn to symbolize the beginning of their college careers. At graduation, the graduate is given an oak sapling to celebrate the growth they have experienced throughout their time at 黑料不打烊 as well as the growth they will encounter as lifelong learners. Alumni are encouraged to log where they have planted their saplings in an interactive map found on the university鈥檚 website.
This tradition has been expanded for international students, who often cannot take their oak saplings to their home country, with the annual International Tree-Planting in the International Grove located on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus.