Campus News
July 15th, 2025
Liberty Tree, Wye Oak seedlings planted at College
Forest Service, MLGC, DCL 100 partner with GC for Tree Campus event
Photo by John Rudd
Liberty Tree and Wye Oak seedlings were planted at Garrett College last Friday. Pictured, left to right, are: Garrett College Trustee Kurt Heckman, Garrett College Facilities Director Chris Painter, Garrett College Board of Trustees Vice Chair/DCL 100 co-Chair Karen Myers, Mountain Laurel Garden Club co-President Deborah Hutton, Garrett College Trustee Madeleine Collins, Maryland Forest Service Urban Forestry Coordinator Katherine Phillips, Mountain Laurel Garden Club co-President Barbara David, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce President Nick Sharps, Mountain Laurel Garden Club Conservation Committee Chair Linda Harris, Garrett College President Richard Midcap, and Maryland Forest Service Garrett/Allegany Project Manager Melissa Nash.
Liberty Tree and Wye Oak seedlings were planted at Garrett College last Friday, expanding the reach of two of Maryland's most famous trees.
The planting ceremony also celebrated the College's designation as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus, as well as Deep Creek Lake's 100th anniversary.
"Won't it be wonderful for our residents and tourist guests to see these trees at the 125th, 150th, and 200th Deep Creek Lake birthday intervals," said DCL 100 Committee co-Chair Karen Myers, who is also vice-chair of the Garrett College Board of Trustees. "What an amazing and natural way to measure time."
If the seedlings' ancestors are any indication, they will be around for those anniversary celebrations. Both the Wye Oak, which stood in Wye Mills on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and the Liberty Tree, which was located in Annapolis, were centuries old.
"The Wye Oak was once the largest white oak in the country, and lived to be nearly 500 years old before falling in 2002," noted Katherine Phillips, the urban forestry coordinator for the Maryland Forest Service. "The Liberty Oak was a tulip poplar under which American revolutionaries gathered in the name of freedom. It lived to be approximately 400 years old before falling in 1999."
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Forest Service provided the seedlings and planted them as part of last Friday's ceremony. The Forest Service and the Mountain Laurel Garden Club (MLGC) have worked with College facilities staff to plant 225 trees and shrubs on the McHenry Campus over the past two years.
"On a sprawling campus, trees connect buildings, cool walkways, and form the basis for a well-rounded college experience," said Linda Harris, who chairs MLGC's Conservation Committee. "Tree Campus Higher Education is a trusted, sustainable forestry program that's tailored to colleges and universities. With Tree Campus recognition, Garrett College is seen as a leader and a positive force for the community."
The tree planting took place just off the Mosser Road Heritage Trail. Two new panels were also unveiled that are stationed along the trail and provide details of the seedlings' history.
GC Marketing Director Chad Yoder and the Marketing & Creative Services team developed the panel designs, with the College's Facilities Department responsible for building, painting, and installing the panel structures. The panels include the logos of the participating organizations.
