Cougar Trails

Six miles of paths

History

The Mill Creek Riparian Interpretive Trail, part of the WSU Vancouver Cougar Trails System, is designed to expand our knowledge and understanding of the ecological functions of plant and soil systems that border a waterway. Maintaining good water quality in Mill Creek is necessary to preserve a healthy environment for the fish, wildlife and people who live in and along the creek.

Trail Management

Our Facilities Services team references United States Forest Service practices for Trail Management and Trail Classes (PDF). We also partner with Cougs in the Community and Washington Trails Association as resources for the stewardship of our trails.

Tree Campus

WSU Vancouver recognized as a Tree Campus

WSU Vancouver consistently earns recognition as a Tree Campus Higher Education institution, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to campus forestry and sustainability. Tree Campus Higher Education, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

To earn this distinction, WSU Vancouver met the five core standards for effective campus forest management, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and the sponsorship of student service learning projects.

Over the past year, many have been reminded of the importance of nature to our physical and mental health. Campus trees provide spaces of refuge and reflection to students, staff, faculty and the community.

Tree Inventory and GIS map

The Tree Committee, Facilities Services and the Grounds Team were awarded a grant from the Department of Natural Resources to inventory the trees in the core of campus. In summer 2021, more than 1,000 trees in the core of campus were inventoried. A white dot was placed at the base of each tree to indicate it had been entered into the data base. Once the inventory was complete, the data was uploaded to WSU’s geographic information systems mapping portal.