In the last three years we have lost over a dozen major trees on campus due to diseases and storms. Luckily we have also gained a wonderful new friend, Craig Eberbach (’73). As a young student, Craig could often be found sitting inside the old Hollow Sycamore tree known as “Mr. Sanders.” Craig, an arborist and founder of Cedar Ridge Nursery, had been thinking about his old alma mater and decided to visit the campus to see if Mr. Sanders was still standing. He was delighted that it was still there, but noticed a great reduction of trees in the last 46 years.
Quietly, Craig has been donating trees to PMFS over the past two years. They include the cherry tree in the circle drive on lower campus, and the white fringe tree in front of Main Building (Debbie Balkan’s tree). With an eye on the future, Craig spent a lot of time on campus studying the overall tree canopy, the general health of our trees, and envisioning what the campus could look like in the next 25-50 years.
On November 21 he and his crew donated and planted 8 new trees. Next Spring he will be planting an additional three to replace the ones that have died and to recreate the wall of flowering trees along Butler Pike just inside our stone wall.
Craig likens these new trees to the children and students at PMFS. He said, “You plant them, care for them, protect them, and give them a wonderful environment to grow.” They both will be amazing in the years to come.
