Seton Hill University Bookstore, serving the students of Seton Hill University, joined 280 other college bookstores across the country in the nationwide "Buy a Book, Build a Forest" campaign throughout this past school year. The goal of this campaign was to plant 100,000 trees in a national forest. Students at participating schools were asked to go online to buildaforest.com and vote where they felt the forest should be planted. The school with the most votes, as a percentage of enrollment, would have their school's name associated with the forest.

The Arbor Day Foundation is proud to be announcing this year's winner on Arbor Day - Friday, April 25th at buildaforest.com.

During the 2007-08 school year, students across the country participated in this competition by donating a portion of each used textbook purchased or sold at the bookstore to The Arbor Day Foundation. The proceeds for this nation-wide recycling competition will be used to plant trees in the student selected Pike & San Isabel National Forest, located in Central Southeast Colorado.

By partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation, Seton Hill's Bookstore (which is owned by the Nebraska Book Company) has taken a unique approach to engage faculty and students while also helping the environment. The 'Buy a Book, Build a Forest' campaign rewards students for buying and selling used textbooks and faculty for re-using textbooks for an additional term.

According to Seton Hill University Bookstore manager Michelle Billman, used textbooks offer advantages for the environment and help keep textbooks affordable for students. Billman explains, "Rising textbook prices are a concern for every college student. One way to help keep textbook prices lower is to offer a strong supply of used textbooks - on average, used textbooks offer a savings of up to 25%. The 'Buy a Book, Build a Forest' campaign has helped us communicate with faculty the importance of re-using textbooks- both from an environmental perspective as well as a financial benefit to students. It has also encouraged students to sell back their textbooks at the end of the term and make more used textbooks available for the next term."

"The trees planted by the "Buy a Book, Build a Forest" campaign will help fill a need and will greatly benefit the environment," said John Rosenow, Chief Executive of The Arbor Day Foundation. "These trees will add wildlife habitat, clean the air, prevent soil erosion and protect waterways. Students should feel a sense of pride that they contributed to such a great need."

The 'Buy a Book, Build a Forest' campaign began in August and ran through March at Seton Hill University Bookstore. Bookstore manager Michelle Billman added, "One tree only provides enough paper for 28 new textbooks, so please buy used books and remember to sell (recycle) them back at the end of the term! We're proud to be able to support the environment while also working to keep textbooks affordable."