McDaniel College Adds Forest To Campus With $25K Grant

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- McDaniel College is adding a forest to its campus with more than 1,000 trees.

Tracey Leong explains the efforts to create this project, and the dual benefit.

McDaniel College's forest will not only serve as a learning laboratory for students, but it will also be a financial resource for the college.

Reforesting three and a half acres of McDaniel College's farm takes 1,000 trees, days of labor and determination.

"We can point to this project as an example of our commitment as a college to making the world more sustainable," said Jason Scullion, Environmental Studies assistant professor.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is awarding McDaniel College with a $25,000 grant to restore the land, transforming it into a forest mitigation bank, which will sprout an economic boost for the college.

"When developers in Carroll County put in a development and take down trees, they have to replace the trees that they cut down. And so this will serve as a mitigation bank," said Mona Becker, Environmental Studies Chair.

When the trees mature, they will be sold as credits to developers. The going rate is $13,000 an acre, translating to a potential $45,000 profit for McDaniel College.

"This is a win-win project. We will create revenue for ourselves, we will contribute to the community and support the natural world," said Scullion.

Another benefit--it serves as a hands-on classroom.

"We're putting in native trees, so they'll be able to see how the native tress develop in this region, they'll learn about tree conservation and actually managing a forest," said Becker.

It will take three years for the trees to become fully established.

McDaniel College is looking to create similar reforestation projects on its remaining farmland.