NDSU students, faculty, alumni and visitors can now get a close-up look at the diversity of trees on campus thanks to a walking trail through the Campus Arboretum developed by NDSU facilities management department staff and Dale Herman, professor emeritus in NDSU’s plant sciences department. The 1.8-mile trail takes walkers past 66 trees south of Centennial Boulevard.
The trail's creators plan to develop another trail for trees north of Centennial Boulevard.
"Nearly 200 new species and cultivated varieties have been planted on the campus in recent years," Herman says. "An application also has been submitted for designation of NDSU as a Tree Campus USA."
Anyone taking the trail can pick up a tour guide with a map showing the location of the featured trees and a description of each one. The trail is color-coded, and each tree is identified by number. The state symbol in front of a description indicates the tree is native to North Dakota.
The walking trail starts north of the Memorial Union on the northeast side of the Family Life Center.
A Student Government Improvement Grant helped fund the project.