The breeze weaves faint whispers of birds singing, tractors humming and leaves rustling through the young, slender branches of the trees lining the countryside for acres upon acres. Rows of growing trees blanket the land in groves, ranging from tiny seedlings to more mature specimens with modest canopies.
The Davey Nursery cultivates several varieties of trees for the benefit of landscapers within Northeast Ohio and beyond to neighboring states. But one special tree, standing tall and strong among more than 300 acres of groves, received special treatment to prepare its fate as the marking to its permanent-and significant-location just a little more than 50 miles away.
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A Davey crew member uses a spade truck to lift the pin oak from the ground to transport it to Kent State University. |
So, how did that 8-inch caliper pin oak tree make its way from Wooster, Ohio, all the way to Kent? Follow its journey from nursery specimen to partnership tree below:
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A Davey Nursery spade truck transports the partnership tree from the nursery in Wooster, Ohio, to Kent State University's campus. |
Trees, like people, vary by appearance, traits, background-and location. While some trees grow freely in the depths of the forest, accepting and adapting to the placement Mother Nature determined, others grow in spaces more visible to the human lifestyle-in planters, along streetscapes, within parking lot islands and in local parks and residencies.
Whether a tree receives daily attention from passersby, and whether a tree experiences special recognition for the ground in which its rooted, all trees matter.
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A Davey crew member backfills the partnership tree at its permanent location on Kent State University's campus. |
Davey's donated pin oak tree will forever recognize the public-private partnership of the City of Kent and Kent State University on several development projects. Its permanent location on the lawn surrounding Kent State's recently expanded Esplanade commemorates the new gateway highlighting Kent as a "Rising College Town." A dedication ceremony occurred on the eve of Kent State's Homecoming, Oct. 4.