GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The old legend at Aquinas College tells a tale of a rich, biodiverse forest. In the 1900s, a logger baron named Edward Lowe supposedly planted every single species of tree native to Michigan on an estate that would eventually become a part of the college's campus.
Regardless of its truth, the Campus Tree Advisory Committee at Aquinas is trying to match the myth, promoting sustainability through tree plantings.
"From the very first day that [students] walk on their campus, they understand sustainability is important," said Jessica Eimer Bowen, director of sustainability. "They have the control and power to be beneficial to nature."
In a Thursday ceremony, the college planted a pair of balsam firs near Albertus Hall, checking the deciduous tree off a 75-plus species-long list.
"These are very small things," said Father Bob Keller. "But it's precisely small things that end up growing, and I think they become an influence much larger than they ever can expect."
The chaplain at Aquinas led a call-and-response liturgy during the ceremony, which preceded remarks from Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, who sprinkled tobacco leaves into the planting holes— a Native American tradition.
"It’s not just an environment we just happen to find ourselves in, or some accidental space," said Father Keller. "We're part of creation."
Following the planting ceremony, eight trees remain on the advisory commitee's list, including the striped maple and jack pine. Due to a shortage of sandy soil on campus, however, Aquinas will likely not be able to plant the pine, a popular roost for the Kirtland's Warbler.
"It's not able to thrive," said Bowen.
Despite the setback, twice-a-year plantings and a tree of the year competition, on top of invasive species prevention efforts and tree tours, turn students at Aquinas into gardeners.
“If we look at Genesis," said Father Keller, referencing the creation of Adam and Eve, "they were gardeners. I mean, that was the original intention."
