Trees occupy a special place at Kenyon. They are part of the rural fabric of this place, covering the hills around campus and lining Middle Path from end to end like an old friend. Some of them — like “Chlorophyllander Chase,” planted outside Rosse Hall last fall as a gift from one generation of students to the next — even have formal names.
And while these trees serve as connecting points between the generations, they do not last forever. High winds during a recent storm toppled one of the oldest, a stately white oak at the center of Givens Grove at the Brown Family Environmental Center.
Estimated by some to be older than the College, it was a hulking centerpiece of the nature preserve and a frequent subject of photographs. It may have fallen last month, but it will always remain a beloved character of the landscape for many around campus.
