Anne Arundel County is planting 387 trees and 503 shrubs on AACC’s Arnold campus.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Department of Public Works and AACC organized the project.

College Parkway will get an additional 63 trees, including Sweetbay Magnolias and Eastern Redbuds.

Another 150 trees and 200 shrubs will go along the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail and on Broadneck Trail.

Owen McEvoy, the county’s public information officer, said the goal of the project is to use government funding in an effective way to restore the environment.

“Trees brighten up whatever location they are in, and it will be cool for people who participate in this project to see the trees they planted grow, and know that they helped make it happen,” said Lainy Leitch, a freshman psychology major and nature enthusiast.

County Executive Steven Schuh said in a press release that he wants to accelerate tree planting across Anne Arundel County.

“Trees add so many benefits to our quality of life, including the appearance of our public spaces and better air quality,” Schuh said.

Funding for the project came from the Forest Conservation Act fund.

This fund is a collection of fees paid by county developers who cut down trees during construction, and don’t replant. Money from the fund goes toward the maintenance of existing forests, the purchasing of wooded property to be preserved, or, in this case, reforestation.

“It is always time to act for the environment, and I am very happy to see that my school is supporting this action,” said Emily Bailey, a first-year history student.

The project will finish by this spring.  “We are excited to make these improvements to the entrance of the college and forested areas of our campus,” AACC President Dawn Lindsay said in a press release.