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!