27 Trees & Me

This year, Chatham Hall welcomed seasoned arborists to campus not simply to perform essential work and the first in a series of periodic inspections for trees of concern in our arboretum and on other parts of campus, but to honor a living legacy rooted deep beneath our grounds. As part of the ongoing care and maintenance of the Chatham Hall Arboretum, home to twenty-seven unique tree species, and in support of our 365-acre campus stewardship, this work is essential. Registered in 2024 as a Level I ArbNet-accredited arboretum, the health and care of our trees is an ongoing, intentional part of campus upkeep. Through practices such as structured pruning, tree risk assessments, and thoughtful stewardship and harvesting, a project launched by Global Entrepreneurship students in 2023 reached completion last year, creating an even more intentional and dynamic landscape across our campus.

 

We love our trees. This is a sentiment that dates back more than a century and is our way of protecting and honoring our natural heritage. As in all of life, things die, and things get sick, leaving a decision to be made for the good of all. We lost fifteen trees this year, one of which was in the Chatham Hall Arboretum, but those spaces do not become barren. Part of our commitment to our history and our arboretum is to continue planting trees. In the last month, we have planted twenty-seven new trees, many with help from our current Global Entrepreneurship II class, some of whom were involved in the establishment of the Chatham Hall Arboretum. Jane W. ’26, Kate W. ’26, and Alice W. ’26 all said that helping plant the new American Elms near Walker-Buck was a meaningful experience. Weeks later, Jane also commented that this powerful act of environmental stewardship was one of the most inspiring days of her semester. 

 

On a recent chilly November morning,  I sat with Jeff Molizon, and we talked about the trees on our campus. Jeff has been with The Budd Group for six years, but has been doing full-service landscaping, maintenance, and installation for more than thirty years. 

 

While he dug a hole to place one of our twenty-seven new trees, a Willow Oak, he explained the positive impact we are making by replacing trees our grounds have lost over the years. He was especially impressed that our students completed the application for our arboretum and played a significant role in its founding.

 

“Focus on the trees,” he said when asked more about himself. As he continued digging, he walked me through the planting process, emphasizing the importance of getting it right.

 

Setting the tree properly in its new home is important, explained Molizon. “Once everything is planted, make sure it’s straight and erect.” Each tree is mulched to retain water, with soil shaped to collect moisture where it is needed most. He also stressed fully removing protective coverings so water is not pulled away from the roots, lessons he shared with Global Entrepreneurship II students during the planting.

 

“This is very visual work,” he said. “When you’re planting, you immediately see the impact on the landscape.” His care and expertise went into every tree, carrying forward Chatham Hall’s long tradition of stewardship.

 

Fall/autumn is the ideal season to plant new trees because they have several months to acclimate to their new environment and become established before the potentially stressful summer season arrives. They also require less hand-watering when planted in the fall than in other months due to winter’s colder temperatures and lower evapotranspiration rates. 

 

While not all of the trees are part of our official Level 1 arboretum, we have many more tree species on campus that could become part of the Arboretum in the future.  Whether a sapling or centurion, each one reflects the intentional care Chatham Hall puts into its campus and our ongoing commitment to the sustainability of our world. Do you have a favorite tree here or at home, or perhaps from another setting? What stories are woven into their existence that represent growth, resilience, and connection? How might you steward or celebrate the meaningful trees in your own life?