The empty space between Merrick-Davis and the School of Government was adorned with a circle of seven River Birch trees, something those behind it hope will spark conversations that are larger than the creation of a new ecosystem on campus.
While Annenberg Scholars Rob and Harriet Fraser were on campus during Gold and Blue weekend, they introduced a living art project, “Resonance.” Developed about a year ago, the project aims to bring people together through action and conversations about land use.
The Frasers and many others planted seven circles of seven trees in the Lake District National Park in the United Kingdom. The trees were dug up from a peat bog, a type of wetland with conditions that prevent full decay of dead plant material. This led to the formation of peat in Bolton Fell and Walton Moss National Nature Reserve in England, because they were growing on Sphagnum moss. The moss forms over thousands of years and is essential for storing carbon. It only grows 1 meter per year and requires a lot of water to thrive, and the trees were absorbing most of it.
In an effort to preserve the moss, about 50 people came together on “Big Dig Day” in November 2024 to remove the trees and replant them in different areas of the park. They are planted in a circle with a circumference of 7 meters. When they are about 15 years old, an adult should be able to stretch out their arms and touch two trees.
While John and Stephanie Lovseth lived in England during their sabbatical last year, they stayed in the same area as the Frasers. John Loveseth joined them on “Big Dig Day,” where he enjoyed the process and message.
“For me, this is about a connection that might be around for 100, maybe 200 years. I think trees get people to imagine long timescales that are beyond human timescales, decades, and really into centuries,” John Lovseth said.
The Lovseths, who currently teach a forestry First Year Experience class, decided to incorporate “Resonance” conversations and planting with their class and the Frasers.
“It’s been really nice to get to know the students and have conversations with them about how themselves, the landscape here, and their different courses and ideas all come together,” said Harriet Fraser. “And then being hands-on with actually getting the trees into the ground and working out the problems and the challenges in making this circle was just a really nice way to bring ideas to life and to get to know some of the students.”
They planted the trees in the area between Merrick-Davis and the School of Government because the sloped area creates a basin that will collect rainwater and be slightly wetter.
John Lovseth explained that it’s an example of a rain garden, which should slow the flow of water with taller vegetation, such as trees or long grasses, which has benefits for everything living downstream. Creating rain gardens from unoccupied spaces, such as mown grass, can transform into a native habitat that supports wildlife, pollinators, and also reduces runoff erosion and flooding.
For the Frasers and the forestry class, these seven trees represent the community’s connection to the environment, opening up broader questions and conversations.
“Hundreds of acres you’ve got here at Principia. I think it’s really cool that the campus was open to having something like this in its grounds,” said Rob Fraser. “And now tied to something in the Lake District, thousands of miles away, it’s invisibly tied to an idea that’s on another continent.”
