The Tree of the Year program crowns a favorite campus tree. The Climate and Sustainability team accepts tree nominations from all members of the campus community, including students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. Nomination information includes a photo of the tree, its location, its species if you know it, and an explanation of why you are nominating the tree. Everyone in the Drexel community can vote for their favorite nominee. We’ll celebrate the winning tree with its own plaque and a party.

2024 Schedule

Nominate Your Favorite Tree April 8-19

In your tree nomination, please be ready to provide a photo of the tree you are nominating, along with identifying information like location and species, and the reason why you are nominating the tree. All tree nominees must be located on one of Drexel’s campuses, including University City, Queen Lane, and Center City Campus, as well as the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships.

Please review our campus tree map for inspiration.

Nominate a Campus Tree

Vote for Tree of the Year April 22-25

Vote for Your Favorite Tree

Winner's Celebration May 9

Join us to crown the 2024 Drexel campus Tree of the Year! Location details will be announced on the Drexel Events Calendar, on the Climate & Sustainability news page, and on the Climate & Sustainability email list. Email sustainability@drexel.edu to join the list.

Trees Are an Essential Part of Our Campus Landscape

Trees offer a number of practical benefits: they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, improve air quality, hold water in the soil, enrich soil with fallen leaves, and create shelter for wildlife.

Just as importantly, trees add beauty and character to Drexel's campus. We enjoy their shade in the summer, marvel at their variety of color in the fall and feel an emotional resonance when they burst back to life in the spring. Trees are living monuments providing a sense of calm and solace.

Drexel is committed to cultivating a healthy native urban forest as a part of accessible and enjoyable public green space on our University City campus. The University's grounds maintenance department has been recognized by the Professional Grounds Management Society for excellence in grounds maintenance and commitment to sustainable practices.

Fun Facts about Drexel’s Urban Forest

• Campus trees are managed by Drexel’s Grounds department, part of the division of Real Estate and Facilities. The Grounds department oversees roughly ten acres of campus green space and its trees, lawns, and flowers.
• There is an up-to-date map of Drexel's approximately 1,000 campus trees, with details about the species and condition of each tree.
• Some of the wildlife species that rely on University campus trees include include gray squirrels, American robins, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, house sparrows, European starlings, northern mockingbirds and a wide array of other migratory bird species. Drexel's trees also house a wealth of insect life that many bird species dine on.
• There are over 45 Yoshino cherry trees planted along Market Street – they symbolize luck, good fortune, and success for years to come. These trees typically bloom just in time for the start of the spring term.
• There are more than 25 tree species represented on our campus, including maple, oak, elm, cherry sycamore, zelkova and locust.
• During each fall term, crews from the Grounds department collect fallen leaves and send them to an off-campus composting service. In 2023 over 40 tons of leaves and branches were removed to become valuable compost.