Vassar’s 222-acre forest corridor has been inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network, recognizing the College’s long-term commitment to conservation, ecological education, and preserving natural spaces that serve both the campus and the wider community.

Gathering around a communal table and later among the trees, Vassar celebrated Community Care Days with shared food, campus traditions, and gratitude for the 100-year-old Arboretum’s beauty and enduring place at the heart of campus life.

Alum Laura Graceffa ’87 and retired professor Mark Schlessman bring Vassar’s Arboretum to life through popular campus tours, connecting generations of students and families to its rich history and traditions. Their decades of stewardship, culminating in a new endowment, aim to preserve the Arboretum and its class tree tradition for future students.

Celebrating the official kickoff of the 100th Anniversary of Vassar’s cherished Arboretum on Arbor Day, students, faculty, staff, and alums came together to enjoy a day of activities that included a gratitude walk, a ceremony honoring the campus grounds crew, the Class of 2027 tree planting and more.

A recent conference paid tribute to the vision of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and focused on the benefits of living and working in a beautiful natural setting. Conference attendees spent a full day on the lush Vassar campus.