Peru State College, the first college in Nebraska, is nestled in the Loess Hills of
Eastern Nebraska along the route traveled by Lewis and Clark. The heavily wooded campus
is comprised of 104 acres and is home to the “Campus of a Thousand Oaks Arboretum.”
Peru State College is located within 20 miles of Arbor Lodge, home of J. Sterling
Morton (the founder of Arbor Day). Over 150 years ago, Morton founded a national tree-planting
movement based on the belief that there is a connection between planting trees, attaining
personal prosperity and building a new country. The impact of tree planting in early
Nebraska is in breathtaking evidence on the College campus. Tree canopies made from
ancient specimens of Gingko, Colorado blue spruce, Maple, Cypress, Hickory and Elm
create a remarkable display.
The College first became involved with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum in May of
1979. The mission of the Campus of a Thousand Oaks Arboretum is to serve as a botanical
resource for students, visitors, and residents of southeast Nebraska and to develop
a dynamic arboretum embedded in and landscape plan compatible with the aesthetic,
historical, and floristic heritage of the site. The Arboretum collection is an educational
and instructional resource in botany and horticulture.
Peru State College’s commitment to maintaining the established landscape is matched
by its commitment to build new collections. The collection currently consists of over
150 species of trees, shrubs, cultivars and grasses native to Nebraska. Peru State’s
recent construction of approximately one-quarter mile of bio-retention basins has
added over 475 shrubs, 100 trees, and over 3,500 drought-tolerant perennials and grasses
to the Arboretum. The establishment of a quercetum near the Centennial Complex contains
45 varieties of oak and oak hybrids. The Campus of a Thousand Oaks Wellness Trail
has been revitalized and wends its way through the woods between campus and Neal Park
(which is part of the campus). Soon, there will be a trail connecting the campus and
park. These examples demonstrate that the campus holds the value of stewardship high
in both its historical context and its current practices.