Sapling Giveaway Project

The PEACE Tree Project provides tree saplings to students as part of the Earth Month and Arbor Day celebration every April. The trees are delivered in early May to students who sign up using the interest form. The intention is to have students or new alumni return to their hometowns after finishing their spring semester at UW-Whitewater and plant the tree. Over time, the trees will reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and provide various environmental, social, and economic benefits to various communities.

The project is a collaboration project of the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Committee, which includes the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office, and the UWW student organizations PEACE (P- Peace E- Education A- Activism (through) C- Creative E-Engagement), SAGE (Students Allied for a Green Earth), and Garden Club. 

PEACE Trees Interest Form

Please use this interest form to sign up for the tree you are interested in and share a little bit about where you plan to plant the tree. We are only looking for City and State so we can add trees to a Google Map to show the distribution of this project’s impact. 

Additionally, we ask that you follow our PEACE Trees Facebook group located on the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Facebook page and share photos of the tree over the years. On Instagram, you can use the hashtag #uwwpeacetrees or tag @uwwsustainability. 

By participating, we ask that you provide a personal email address rather than your UW-Whitewater email address so we can continue to communicate with you as the project progresses. We anticipate emailing you annually, most likely in the fall semester, to ask if the tree is still alive and any updates on it.

Tree Information

All trees are bare-root saplings that arrive 6-12” tall and are sourced from the Arbor Day Foundation. If you are interested in a tree, please make sure that you choose one appropriate for your hardiness zone. We recommend the Arbor Day Foundation planting instructions for bare-root trees. You can also learn a lot more about how to successfully grow trees from the wide array of tips and resources offered on the Arbor Day Foundation website

Current Trees Available

All information and photos below are taken from the Arbor Day Foundation. 

Colorado Blue Spruce

One of our most popular ornamental conifers, the Colorado Blue Spruce is a truly magnificent sight. Its silvery blue-green coloring and perfect Christmas tree shape make this tree a great landscaping focal point on commercial and residential properties. It is also widely used for privacy or a windbreak.

• Features unique silvery blue-green color year-round
• Known as a very adaptable evergreen
• Is deer-resistant, seldom experiencing severe damage
• Provides privacy and a windbreak when planted in a row

Bur Oak

The bur oak is a mighty sight to behold. A coarsely textured crown, wild and wooly acorns and a massive trunk with rough and deeply furrowed bark combine to make one impressive tree. Those characteristics helped this oak survive the elements of its wide-reaching natural range. In fact, the natural bur oak range is the northern- and western- most of all the eastern oak species.

• Offers dense shade
• Produces acorns that are popular with wildlife
• Is a long-lived tree
• Tolerates pollution and heat stress

Northern Red Oak

The northern red oak has been called “one of the handsomest, cleanest, and stateliest trees in North America” by naturalist Joseph S. Illick, and it is widely considered a national treasure. It is valued for its versatility and hardiness in urban settings. This medium to large tree is also known for its brilliant fall color, great value to wildlife, and status as the state tree of New Jersey.

• Displays vibrant red fall color
• Is a fast-growing tree that offers great shade and works well as a street tree
• Tolerates pollution and compacted soil

River Birch

As its name suggests, the river birch naturally grows along riverbanks. But as a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the U.S. The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs, and relative resistance to birch borer.

• Provides brilliant yellow fall color
• Develops a cinnamon-colored bark that curls and peels (once mature)
• Is the most borer-resistant birch

Sugar Maple

The sugar maple is one of America’s most-loved trees. In fact, more states have claimed it as their state tree than any other single species—for New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont, the maple tree stands alone. One of its most prominent features is amazing fall color. As the seasons change, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red.

• Boasts brilliant fall colors of yellow, orange, and red
• Provides great shade because of a dense crown

White Fir

Long ago, naturalist Donald Peattie recognized the beauty and adaptability of the white fir and accurately predicted that its future “lies in its value as an ornamental.” Its shape, color, and ability to thrive on harsh sites has made the tree a favorite for urban landscaping.

• Displays silvery, blue-green needles and light-colored bark
• Tolerates drought, heat, and winter cold

Where are the PEACE Trees?

This project started in Spring 2024 as a pilot program offered to attendees of Earth Month events and through other media channels. As the project grows, a Google Map will be provided that shows the approximate species and location of the PEACE trees we've distributed to date. If you want to be added to the map, email us a picture or tag us on social media @uwwsustainability with the #PEACETrees.

Questions

For any questions related to the program, please contact sustainability@uww.edu.