BY BREA BERGEN
The pond ripples, touched by the light wind that has picked up. The afternoon sun glistens through the leaves of the trees above, their branches swaying, dropping crisp, golden leaves in the process. These trees stand tall and strong, in memory of former students.
For some, they provide a quiet place to sit and study. For others, they pay tribute. Standing alongside the pond on Doon campus, these trees were each planted in memory of someone who passed through the halls of Conestoga and who has since passed away. Under each tree sits a small plaque with the name of the person it was planted for. The trees may have been planted by the family of the person who has passed, or by faculty or students who wished to recognize that person.
“If an individual had passed away and the family had wanted to make a contribution and said, ‘We’d like to remember this person through planting a tree’… and they wanted to put a tree out there, that would be a very appropriate way to recognize that individual,” said Tim Tribe, the chief development officer at Conestoga.
The trees are planted as mature trees, rather than the small “stick” trees that you see tied to poles so they don’t fall over. They look better, and have a better chance of survival.
“It’s so nice for the family, you know, to see a tree,” said Anne Mackay, a member of Conestoga’s alumni council.
The trees are not only placed near the pond, but all over Doon campus. “Over time it may be suitable to do it over at the Cambridge campus,” said Tribe. But for the time being, Doon is the only campus where the trees are being planted.
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