ECTC receives Plant for the Planet grant from LG&E and KU

Published on Sep 25, 2024

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College recently received a Plant for the Planet grant from LG&E and KU to purchase trees planted on ECTC’s campus. 

Based on the United Nations Environment Program’s Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, the purpose of the grant is to encourage organizations with a record of successful tree planting to continue their efforts. ECTC used the grant to purchase and plant native trees on campus, including oak, redbud, dogwood and maple trees.  

“We hope to incorporate the new trees, along with all the trees on campus, into educational experiences for ECTC students,” said Martha Wolfe, ECTC professor emeritus and chair of the college’s sustainability committee. “For example, biology lab classes can perform wildlife surveys around the trees or calculate how much carbon dioxide they remove from the air.” 

ECTC long has been a steward of good tree practices, earning the Tree Campus distinction earlier this year in addition to coordinating several tree-related activities through the college’s sustainability committee. The college will celebrate Tree Week Oct. 6-13. Sponsored by the Urban Forest Initiative at the University of Kentucky, Tree Week at ECTC will include a tree giveaway, daily tree information emails, and a biology lab outdoor experience involving tree identification and mulching. 

“Trees are a valuable asset to the ECTC community, providing benefits such as shade, improved air quality, reduced stormwater impact, instructional uses and mitigating climate change,” Wolfe said. “Even more importantly, trees provide a sense of community and social benefits that include reduced stress and improvement of mental health.” 

For more information on ECTC’s sustainability committee, contact Wolfe at martha.wolfe@kctcs.edu.