Student groups can soon make a rather permanent mark on the university campus.

Groups will be able to plant trees for $150 each in the area around Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center. A commemorative plaque will list all of the groups' participation in the project.

Tom Flynn, Office of Physical Plant (OPP) senior landscape architect, said the intent behind the joint OPP- University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) program was to mitigate carbon effects and improve campus aesthetics by increasing the number of trees. He added that the relatively low price was meant to encourage students to participate in the program.

"The university wants to support any student group that wants to make an impact environmentally on campus," he said. "It's just the right thing to do."

Sean Flynn, UPUA facilities committee chairman who headed the program from the UPUA side, agreed with Tom Flynn that the program was a great opportunity for students.

"It's kind of a win-win situation for everybody involved to get their name out there and also do something good for Penn State," he said.

The proceeds from the program will go toward other Earth Week activities for next year, Sean Flynn said. He added that any interested group of students could participate, not just official student organizations.

Tom Flynn said the trees planted would "certainly" be there for a long time, saying OPP made "every effort possible" to avoid tearing down trees.

"If you are in that area, you can say, 'Hey, I was there, I planted this tree,' " Sean Flynn said. "It actually just makes you feel how old you are."

Sean Flynn said the actual planting will occur sometime during Earth Week. He said OPP would provide all the equipment for planting trees, and the group would only need to provide one or two people. This program has been done in the past, Sean Flynn said, and will probably be continued for the next 10 to 15 years, moving to a different area each year.

Jake Keefe, UPUA public relations chairman, said 12 groups have signed up for the program so far.

Tarrah Geszvain, advising assistant for the Environmental Resource Management (ERM) program, said ERM chose to participate in the program to honor ERM students' dedication to conservation.

"Planting a tree seemed like a natural way to do this, because trees cool the planet and take up greenhouse gases," she said. "We also wanted to be a part of a community-wide effort to beautify the campus, and we wanted to commemorate Earth Day and the efforts of campus organizations."

The deadline to apply is next Monday, and interested groups should contact UPUA at its office, 314 HUB-Robeson Center, at 863-4326 or jdk292@psu.edu.