Screen Shot 2014-04-25 at 9.42.44 AM Campus of Trees

  • A campus beautification effort that transformed Winona State University into an oasis in the center of the city started under President Emeritus Darrell Krueger in the 1990s.
  • Since then, WSU has made a concerted effort to diversify the variety of trees on campus.
  • The Winona State campuses feature more than 100 species of trees, with more than 900 trees on the 64-acre main campus alone.
  • The university is working to restore its Minnesota Native Tree Collection, which will feature at least one of all 52 tree species considered native to Minnesota.
  • WSU’s non-native tree collection prominently features trees from Japan, China and Korea.
  • Self-guided tree tours of the campus are available via mobile app at: http://www.winona.edu/it/campusoftrees.asp.
  • The campus Arboretum and Land Stewardship committee is in the process of applying to become a Tree Campus USA through the National Arbor Day Foundation.
  • WSU will be the first four-year state university in Minnesota to receive this designation.

WSU Arboretum

  • The WSU Arboretum encompasses the main, west and East Lake campuses (70 acres) and the Garvin Heights property, including Krueger Woods (225 acres).
  • The dedication of the WSU Arboretum recognizes the university’s goal of providing an environment that supports public enjoyment, education, recreation and research.
  • The Arboretum will function as a living classroom and laboratory and help the university to maintain the campus grounds for generations to come.
  • The work of the Arboretum will be coordinated by the Arboretum Director, who will be charged with maintenance of campus grounds and landscape services, and supported by the campus Land Steward, faculty, students, staff and the community to help promote and utilize the campus grounds for educational purposes.
  • The WSU Arboretum will serve as a living laboratory and classroom on the WSU campus.
  • Future generations of students, alumni and friends of WSU will see the campus grounds as an extension of the classroom, promoting the exchange of ideas and an appreciation for the natural beauty of the WSU campus.

 Commitment to Sustainability

  • Winona State University is committed to building and supporting a sustainable society.
  • From the President’s Climate Commitment, to our campus infrastructure, course and program offerings, and student housing, we are working to practice and promote sustainable living.
  • WSU is a first-year signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

About Winona State University

Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a regional public university with nearly 8,800 students. The oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, WSU offers more than 80 undergraduate, pre-professional, licensure, graduate and doctorate programs on its campuses in Winona and Rochester. Winona State ranks as the second public institution in Minnesota in the 2014 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges,” has been named among the “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review for a decade, and has been featured as one of America’s 100 Best College Buys for quality and value for 18 straight years. The university’s mission is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve: a community of learners improving our world. For more information, visit: www.winona.edu.