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Thursday, June 14, 2018

CMU Class Trees


By Frank Boles

Recently, toward the end of the commencement ceremony I was attending, my ears picked up when Provost Michael Gealt reminded the graduates that a maple tree, then in a container located in front of the building, would be planted on campus in their honor. As the provost spoke about the tree, I was thinking, “and you do know that we have mapped all of the existing class trees on the Clarke Historical Library’s website – right?” As if on cue, the provost shared with the graduates that if they would like to see where the other class trees are planted, they should visit the Clarke’s website.



Sometimes things do work out!

A project several years in the making, the ”Trees Planted in Honor of Graduating Classes” page of the Clarke website, traces the history of a tradition begun in 1994, when a Blue Spruce was planted in honor of the graduating class. A google map uses a gold pin to locate each tree and show a picture of it.  In addition, information is included about the tree species as well as a link to supply more information about that species of tree.

The map also includes information about a few trees that have been removed. And to the Class of 1997, really at the time a Mountain Ash seemed like such a good idea! Nobody had ever heard of an Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis). Native to Asia, the insect was first detected in Canton, Michigan in 2002. Since then, this invasive species has made Michigan the epicenter of the borer infestation, devastating the state’s Ash tree population.

To view the map with a chronological listing of the trees, visit this link.

To each graduating class, we’ll think of you whenever summer heats envelopes the campus. Thanks for the shade!