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ESF Students Turn Web Searches into 388 Trees — and Counting
Student-led effort brings Ecosia to campus
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Jan. 9, 2026 – Every click counts at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) where students have transformed routine web searches into a global tree-planting effort, already adding 388 trees to forests worldwide. Led by Oakie’s Green Team, a sustainability-focused student group, ESF is leading the way to make internet searches greener SUNY-wide.
“Last year, ESF joined the Ecosia on Campus campaign and worked with the College’s IT Department to set the tree-planting search engine, Ecosia, as the default search engine on ESF campus computers,” said Kathryn White, president of Oakie’s Green Team.
Ecosia, the world’s largest not-for-profit search engine, invests its ad revenue in climate action, primarily tree-planting projects in over 35 countries.
“They’re also solar powered and privacy friendly,” White said. “They don’t create personal profiles of you or track what you're searching.” Ecosia also has its own “green AI” which is solar-powered and energy-efficient. It also focuses on finding more eco-friendly answers to queries, said White.
“At ESF, our students are committed to walking their talk. They look for opportunities, both big and small to Improve Our World,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “By adopting Ecosia, ESF students have turned everyday searches into a powerful sustainability initiative. Their leadership is setting an example for campuses across SUNY.”
Ecosia tracks the number of searches performed on the ESF computers and provides monthly reports that estimate the number of trees planted, the amount of carbon sequestered, and the amount of oxygen generated.
“The most recent report said since implementing Ecosia in early October, an estimated 388 trees were planted,” said White. “Since adopting Ecosia, ESF has helped to finance an estimated 388 trees, and the number will only go up as we continue to use it. Around every 50 searches funds a tree.”
Working with College leadership and the IT Department, Ecosia is now the default search engine on all the computers in ESF’s computer labs and Moon Library.
With Ecosia now established at ESF, OGT’s next goal is SUNY-wide adoption. White, OGT member Lydia Morgan, MOSA President Dan Vera, and former MOSA President Eden Gardner authored the resolution that passed in the SUNY Student Assembly to bring Ecosia to all campuses.
“Dan was helpful in bringing the resolution forward,” said White. The idea began last spring when then-MOSA president Gardner suggested, “Maybe we can make this a SUNY-wide initiative.”
White gets excited when she thinks about the impact a systemwide use of Ecosia means for the environment. Systemwide adoption could unite 375,000 students in planting thousands of trees through everyday searches.
“OGT is working with Grounds on plans to plant a tree on campus next semester, during Earth Week, to commemorate making the switch to Ecosia, so that’s pretty awesome and exciting,” said White.
OGT is a committee of the Mighty Oak Student Assembly (MOSA) and a registered student organization, meaning anyone can join. OGT has several campus initiatives beyond Ecosia and working with MOSA. The group conducts waste audits, and with ESF’s Office of Sustainability, OGT is responsible for the Reusable Plate Program.
“We have a whole store of plates and silverware that clubs can borrow for their events so they don't have to buy single-use plastics or compostable plates that you still have to throw away,” said White.
The group also facilitates the Move Out program which is conducted in collaboration with Syracuse University.
“We partner with the SU's end-of-the-year collection, which is the same type of program collecting items that are no longer wanted or needed from the residence halls,” said Rochelle Strassner, sustainability outreach and engagement manager and OGT advisor. ESF then uses SU’s storage pod, thereby eliminating an expense. All the collected items are distributed to local organizations such as the Rescue Mission and Boys and Girls Club.
“OGT is like the quote-unquote sustainability office for MOSA,” said Strassner, sustainability outreach and engagement manager and OGT advisor. “They’re able to connect other groups who may be working on similar projects so they can combine forces to make the event more sustainable.”
OGT has other initiatives in the works for 2026, including Plant Futures, an initiative to get people focused on plantcentric food systems and encouraging them to eat more plant-based foods to help lower carbon footprints.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.