MONACA, Pa. — The Penn State Beaver campus has been recognized as an accredited arboretum by ArbNet, an international accreditation program based out of the Morton Arboretum of Chicago.
Penn State Beaver was accredited as a Level I arboretum, a designation that means there are at least 25 different labeled species of trees or other woody plants present. When Bartlett Tree Experts visited the campus in August, they identified 50 different species on campus.
As part of this accreditation, Penn State Beaver is now listed on the Morton Register, a comprehensive database that lists arboreta and botanic gardens around the world with a substantial focus on woody plants. Penn State Beaver joins University Park, Abington and Schuylkill as accredited member campuses of the Commonwealth Arboreta Network (CAN).
The addition of the campus to the Morton Register is the result of an initiative to identify and map trees on campus. Penn State Beaver joined the CAN initiative in 2025. The CAN, which began in 2023, helps to fulfill the University’s land-grant mission through education, research and community collaborations.
Beaver campus sits on 105 acres, and is home to a pond, stream, wetlands, four acres of recently converted turf-to-meadow, and approximately 32 acres of diverse woods with several grand "wolf oaks" — a name for very old and large trees that have an expansive canopy.
Campus staff maintain about 400 trees of 50 different species, including various genus of maple trees, a sycamore, a Chinese chestnut, large native pin oaks and a 44-inch silver maple, which is the largest tree on campus.
One tree of particular interest on campus is a large American elm near the Laboratory Classroom Building.
Eric Hinzman, a consulting adviser for Bartlett, said American elm trees are considered rare after Dutch elm disease wiped out most of the trees in the United States. He said the tree at Beaver is in very good condition, and it is apparent it has been well-cared for by the campus grounds staff.
The inclusion on the Morton Register and the Commonwealth Arboreta Network are part of ongoing sustainability efforts on the campus including the turf-to-meadow project, initiatives with Reforest Our Future and composting in the Brodhead Bistro.