By Scout Nelson
North Dakota State University is opening a new interactive campus arboretum to make its collection of trees and shrubs easier for people to explore and understand. The resource provides an educational way for students, faculty, staff, alumni, campus visitors, and community members to learn about woody plants found across the Fargo campus.
NDSU will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. on September 30, 2026, at the university’s main gate in Fargo, North Dakota. The event is part of NDSU Homecoming week and also recognizes the university’s Tree Campus Higher Education status through the Arbor Day Foundation.
The interactive arboretum turns the campus landscape into a learning resource. Selected trees and shrubs across the university are marked with labels that provide QR codes. Visitors can use a mobile device to scan the codes and access information about the plants.
The digital information helps visitors learn important identification features and other details about individual trees and shrubs. The resource also includes an interactive quiz that allows users to test their plant identification skills. This gives visitors a chance to learn while exploring the campus.
The arboretum uses a self-guided format, so people can choose where to go and how much time to spend learning. Students can use the resources for class activities and hands-on learning, while other visitors can explore the plants at their own pace.
The project also supports education and campus sustainability. Learning about trees can help people better understand the role of plants in urban areas. Trees and shrubs can contribute to campus landscapes while providing opportunities to study plant growth, identification, and care.
“This project supports NDSU’s commitment to education, campus sustainability and urban forest stewardship while creating new opportunities for experiential learning,” says Todd West, professor of arboriculture and horticulture and director of the NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program.
The new resource connects with NDSU’s Tree Campus Higher Education recognition. The Arbor Day Foundation program recognizes colleges and universities that manage campus forests and involve their communities in conservation and tree care. NDSU’s arboretum provides another way to connect people with the university’s trees and support learning about urban forestry.
The resource may also help build interest in urban forestry and plant science. People new to tree identification can use the information to compare plant features and practice recognizing different species. Students studying horticulture, agriculture, or related subjects can use the campus collection as a real-world example. For the wider community, the arboretum offers an easy way to learn about plants that grow in urban spaces and how stewardship supports healthy landscapes.
The opening ceremony will take place at the NDSU campus main gate, located at the southeast corner of campus near the intersection of 12th Avenue North and University Drive. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members are invited to attend.
Photo Credit: istock-pyzata
Categories: North Dakota, General