Colgate University Land and Forest Stewardship
Campus Trees and Forests
Colgate University recognizes the value and importance of its nearly 3,500 campus trees and over 1,000 acres of forested lands. Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality and overall climate conditions, conserving water, preserving soil, and providing homes for wildlife, among many other benefits. Trees filtrate air by removing pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and excess carbon dioxide. Tree root systems help clean groundwater, keep pollutants out of streams, prevent erosion, and mitigate flooding. In short, trees and forests are essential to human and ecosystem health both above and below ground. For these reasons, Colgate University values its trees and manages them with care and integrity.
Campus Trees
Colgate makes a great effort to care for the nearly 3,500 trees that are an integral part of campus life. Each tree is identified, measured, and monitored over time. Campus trees provide cool shade in the summer, nesting habitat for breeding songbirds, contribute to a beautiful campus, and help to filtrate the air and groundwater for an overall healthier environment.
Quick Facts
3,492 campus trees
132 species of trees
$15.1 million cumulative asset value
Most common
Sugar maple (9%)
Norway spruce (7.7%)
Northern red oak (7%)
Highest Value
Norway Spruce
Canopy radius: 40 ft.
Condition: Good
Tree Asset Value: $78,998
About Our Campus Trees
62% of species are native to North America
52% of which are native to New York
38% are species non-native to North America
4.1% of the total tree population is invasive in New York state
29 acres of tree cover
163 acres of leaf area
58 tons of oxygen produced/year
Annual Functional Values
22 tons of CO2 sequestered in new growth each year (value equals $3,700/year)
82,340 cubic feet of water runoff avoided/year (value equals $5,500/year)
1,215 pounds of pollution removed/year (value equals $2,140/year)
Forested Lands
In addition to the campus trees that line our streets, buildings, and walkways, Colgate also owns and manages over 1,000 acres of forested land. Colgate’s forests are managed using principles of sustainability that emphasize:
teaching and research,
outdoor recreation and aesthetic value,
conservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity,
light timber production, and
forest carbon storage and sequestration.
Forest Carbon Inventory
Colgate’s 1,059 acres of forests contain 210,058 tons of stored carbon and sequester an additional 3,884 tons of carbon annually. Colgate's Forest Carbon Inventory also provides projections for future rates of carbon sequestration.
Bird Life at Colgate University
Birdwatching continues to grow in popularity at Colgate and throughout the Hamilton community. People who birdwatch benefit from spending time outdoors, connecting with nature, and sharing a common interest with others.
Soundscape at Colgate
A soundscape is an acoustic fingerprint, it tells a story of our surrounding environment. The soundscape holds information about the biophony, geophony, and anthrophony of the area. As Colgate University and our surrounding climate change over time, the soundscape can indicate how these changes impact birdlife and the overall biodiversity around us.
Colgate Landholdings
Landholdings Map
Colgate’s 2,000+ acres of property in Madison and Franklin Counties are classified into 10 different land cover types. The landholdings map includes all 106 land parcels owned by Colgate. It also includes a map of Colgate’s road network and the built environment. The land cover data was generated using satellite imagery from 2017.
