‘Arbor Day’ Event Hosted
On April 5, Seoul National University held a special environmental program in celebration of Arbor Day. This year’s event went beyond simply planting trees and was organized with the meaningful goal of contributing to a carbon-neutral (Net-Zero) campus. Hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the event brought together faculty, staff, and students to reflect on the future while planting trees.
Professor Kang Yoo-seok from the Department of Forest Sciences at SNU explained the purpose behind the event, saying, “This event was planned to raise awareness of the recent devastating wildfires, and to promote environmental reform in anticipation of SNU’s 80th anniversary in 2026, as well as educational policy shifts toward greater stability.”
This year’s Arbor Day event was especially focused on the “SNU Campus Carbon Neutrality Implementation,” aligning the specific goals of the initiative with the event’s program. Seoul National University emits about 14,600 tons of carbon dioxide annually—an amount far exceeding permitted emissions. Professor Kang emphasized that reducing carbon emissions through sustainable forest management and resource conservation is central to achieving Net-Zero goals.
Participants included faculty and staff from other departments as well, one of whom shared, “I saw the event announcement on the university website and decided to join after being moved by the purpose of the event.” During the tree-planting activity, they created personalized nameplates for their trees with the message: “Planting a small sapling today may become the first step toward a bigger change.”
A special highlight of the event was the selection of the 13-year-old yew tree, harvested from the yew mother tree in the Chilbo Academic Forest of Seoul National University. Professor Kang noted that the yew tree symbolizes “eternal life, surviving for a thousand years even if it dies standing.” He added, “We hope to carry on the legacy of this symbolic tree as a message to nurture future generations.”
Professor Kang also stressed the importance of Arbor Day activities in educational settings: “Planting trees isn’t just about environmental conservation—it's a responsible action that also helps prevent wildfires and passes down a healthy ecosystem to future generations.”
He concluded by saying, “I hope this event sparks more student-led environmental activities and furthers the Net-Zero Campus initiative.” Student participant Heo Jae-won added, “It would be nice to include more hands-on programs like planting trees ourselves instead of only distributing saplings.”
With one tree as a start, we move toward a greener future. This Arbor Day event reaffirmed the message that small environmental actions can lead to a big impact.
interviewed by Cals Press 22nd 문나영 and 우정윤
translated by Cals Press 22nd Ye Jin Lee (department of applied biology and chemistry)
