BLOOMINGTON= – Indiana University Health Bloomington celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, April 30, with a symbolic tree-planting ceremony that commemorated the final stages of the landscaping at the new facility.
During the event, Brian Shockney, IU Health South Central Region President, highlighted IU Health Bloomington’s commitment to encourage healthier lifestyles through experiences with nature. As part of this commitment, IU Health Bloomington will work to achieve the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Healthcare recognition. This program connects inpatient healthcare facilities with local community forestry programs to improve human health outcomes while allowing community forests to flourish.
To receive the Tree Campus Healthcare designation, IU Health Bloomington will work to fulfill the five standard requirements which include:
- Forming an advisory committee
- Creating a facility tree care plan
- Completing a community forestry project
- Celebrating and educating about environmental conservation
- Investing financially in conservation
Mia Williams, Indiana University Landscape Architect, emphasized features of the facility, building, and site that inspired the design theme of “Shades of Southern Indiana,” including five main garden spaces and a perimeter fitness loop. The landscaping was designed with the goal of creating a sense of familiarity and comfort for patients and to harness the power of nature to heal.
“We are incredibly fortunate to call such an environmentally-friendly community in Bloomington home,” Shockney said. “Our environment can do so much to support the community we serve.”
In further celebration of Arbor Day, IU Health was the exclusive sponsor of the Sycamore Land Trust’s Annual Free Tree Seedling Giveaway event on Saturday, May 1. Free tree seedlings, donated by the Department of Natural Resources, were provided to community members to plant at their homes in an effort to promote conservation and environmental education.
