Valentines to our Trees

In February 2023, we invited Washington University students to write notes, poems or love letters to their favorite tree on campus.  Hundreds of students filled out valentines cards that were hung from the branches of their favorite trees early on the morning of Valentine’s Day.  

Did the Valentine’s cards increase awareness of the Arboretum?  

One hundred and seventy-nine undergraduates were surveyed about the Arboretum a week before the program and 166 were given the same survey a week afterwards.  The number of students who knew that the entire campus is an arboretum almost doubled, from 17% to 31% !