LEWISTON, Idaho – As part of Lewis-Clark State College’s 125th anniversary celebration, the college will plant a row of new trees along Seventh Avenue that will honor past, current, and future presidents of the college.
This is the legacy project for this year by the Associated Students of LCSC, which is comprised of elected student officers who represent the student body. Each year, ASLCSC identifies and funds a legacy project to beautify the campus.
This year, with help from the college’s Foundation and Physical Plant offices, the project will be the planting of 15 trees, called Presidents' Row that will be located along the northern edge of campus. Presidents' Row will replace the diseased elm trees that will be removed during LCSC’s spring break.
Lewiston city officials have found the elm trees currently along Seventh Avenue, and many in the Normal Hill area, to be diseased. For safety reasons, LCSC officials will have them removed during March 26-30. After the tree removal, a new irrigation system and sod will be put down. The new trees will be planted and each will have a plaque in honor of an LCSC president and will include the scientific name of the tree.
The first tree, in honor of LCSC’s first President George Knepper, will be planted on Seventh Avenue just east of the entrance to the Fourth Street parking lot. There will be 13 trees planted between the entrance to the parking lot and the Fifth Street entrance to campus.
The 13 trees will include a variety of maple and ash trees, but will also include a Japanese Dogwood, a Hardy Rubber Tree, and a City Sprite Zelkova, among others. LCSC President J. Anthony (Tony) Fernandez, who has a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, selected 14 of the trees from a list provided by Lewiston officials, while his predecessor, Dene K Thomas, chose a Rocky Mountain Glow Maple.
The list of trees to choose from for all only included those recommended by city officials that were suitable for Lewiston’s climate as well as being planted close to the street and sidewalk. The variety of trees chosen will add color and variety to that campus area.
The final two president trees, for Fernandez and Thomas, will be planted on the east side of the Fifth Street entrance to campus near where the bus stop location is. Those two trees will be planted during a special ceremony on Arbor Day, April 27, at 3 p.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.
The plan for Presidents' Row is to continue east on Seventh Avenue with a new tree for each future president of the college.
ASLCSC, the LCSC Physical Plant, and the LCSC Foundation, the latter through a donor who wishes to create an arboretum area on campus, provided the funding for the project. LCSC Foundation Executive Director Erika Allen said the long-term goal with the donation is to create an inviting campus that includes a self-guided tour of trees.
Along with the project, the LCSC Foundation and ASLCSC are using Presidents' Row as a fundraiser for a scholarship, which will benefit a high academically achieving student who illustrates exemplary leadership experience. Anyone can contribute to one of the new trees and their donation will go to the scholarship. To enquire about the scholarship, contact Allen at [email protected] or call 208-792-2457. Donations also can be made online at 125.lcsc.edu by designating the gift toward Presidents' Row.