YU, Tree planting ahead of Arbor Day

Hosted by College of Applied Life Sciences—Over 300 Trees Planted

More than 200 Participants Including Students, Faculty, and International Students

[March 25, 2025]

 Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) held a tree planting event on March 21 at the Gapje Academic Forest on its Gyeongsan campus in anticipation of Arbor Day (April 5). Organized by the College of Applied Life Sciences, the event drew over 200 participants, including students from the Department of Forest Resources, faculty members, and international students from the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul.

 More than just a tree planting initiative, the event served as a meaningful opportunity to experience the importance of addressing climate change firsthand. Students from various countries and majors joined forces to promote environmental awareness, putting into practice what they’ve learned in classrooms and deepening their understanding of environmental stewardship. For the international students, in particular, it was a valuable chance to learn about Korea’s successful reforestation efforts and sustainable forest management. They also gained insight into the idea that protecting the environment is not simply for current consumption, but a responsibility to return borrowed resources to future generations.

 Around 300 trees were planted during the event, including Amur cork trees, Japanese angelica trees, Korean angelica trees, and Amur maackia supplied by the National Institute of Forest Science, as well as oriental raisin trees and bald cypresses cultivated at YU’s own campus nursery. Participants planted the trees across a designated 1,000㎡ area of the academic forest, reflecting on the long-term positive impact of forest creation on environmental preservation.

President CHOI Oe-chool, who joined the students in planting trees, remarked, “This event goes beyond simply planting trees—it’s a meaningful effort to take real action in response to climate change. As the saying goes, ‘Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once, and seeing a hundred times is not as good as taking action.’ When it comes to climate change, it is essential that we move beyond awareness and into action.” He added, “Through this Arbor Day event, we will continue sharing Korea’s internationally recognized reforestation policies with developing countries, contributing to the global response to climate change.”