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Masonic Homes Kentucky, Louisville Campus
Donna Hibbs, VP of Grounds and Landscaping at Masonic Homes Kentucky, oversees tree care across three campuses, including a historic arboretum. Her team prioritizes reforesting the Louisville campus, enhancing resident wellness through tree tours, and mentoring local students in tree care skills.
Category
Trees in Communities
Topic
Tree Campus Healthcare
Location
Louisville, KY
Tree Champion
Donna Hibbs, Vice President of Grounds and Landscaping
About the tree champion
Donna Hibbs, Vice President of Grounds and Landscaping, is a Certified Professional Grounds Manager and ISA Certified Arborist responsible for the grounds of three campuses, each with their own unique landscape.
As a leader in grounds management at an organization that hosts a campus arboretum, it’s no coincidence that trees are central to Donna’s career. She serves on the board of the Louisville Nursery Association and is a longtime member of the Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association.
Investment in Trees
How they invest in trees
How They Invest in Trees
Masonic Homes Kentucky’s Louisville campus, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, includes a rich tree canopy. Planting to reforest and restore this canopy is a key priority for maintaining the historic legacy and beauty of the campus — and to maximize the health benefits the trees provide. Campus trees create a setting for residents and patients to connect with nature. “We do a rolling tree tour for our residents in spring and fall so they can see blooms and fall colors,” said Donna. In addition, walking paths will soon line the campus and contribute to the wellness of employees and residents alike.
In the community, Masonic Homes Kentucky recently established a mentoring program with a local high school — the only school in their urban county that has an FFA (Future Farmers of America) program. The campus trees have become tools that provide an opportunity for students to learn about career paths and tree care skills. In addition, the Louisville campus partners with the suburb of St. Matthews to take care of the community’s boulevard trees in front of the property.
Why They Invest in Trees
“Everything we do is for our residents and our community,” Donna said. “Trees impact safety, beauty, quality of life . . . our residents, employees, and the public benefit when we invest in community trees.”
Why Tree Campus Healthcare Is Important
“We are always looking for opportunities to raise awareness of what we have going on here.” According to Donna, Tree Campus Healthcare recognition will help to highlight the intentional way Masonic Homes Kentucky includes trees directly within the care and wellness of their residents and will serve as a rallying point for organizational leadership to continue and expand these initiatives.
Tree Campus Healthcare is an Arbor Day Foundation program in cooperation with our exclusive professional partner, The Davey Tree Expert Company, and alongside our partners at the Professional Grounds Management Society, Practice Greenhealth, and the USDA Forest Service.
Exclusive Professional Partner
Collaborators
