A new book, The Trees of Winona State University, by Bill Meyer and Tom Grier, has just been published and is available for purchase at the Winona State University Book Store and local Winona book shops. The book was funded through a special account set up by WSU President Darrell Krueger and through private gifts.
Dozens of color photographs of campus trees in their locations are featured in the book, as well as close-ups of interesting tree characteristics such as leaves, bark, fruit or blooms. Detailed campus maps are included noting the location of each tree, as of fall 2004.
The book can serve as a coffee-table style conversation piece, a celebration of campus beauty, a guide for walking tours of campus trees and as a field handbook for tree identification.
Meyer, senior groundskeeper at WSU, had the initial idea to record and catalogue all the trees on campus and collaborated with Grier, WSU's director of University Communication, over the past several years to photograph campus trees throughout the seasons and to write about several trees of particular interest.
The book celebrates the diversification of trees at Winona State. There are more than 90 varieties of trees on campus. Since 2003, Winona State University has been able to boast that it has growing on campus at least one of every tree species native to Minnesota.
Meyer and Grier note that the 98-page book represents the cooperative spirit of the WSU community. President Krueger shared the vision for the book and encouraged it to completion; several faculty offered advice and expert opinion on tree varieties and species; local nurseries helped with identification and acquisition of trees; maintenance staff members have worked to keep the campus environment attractive; the WSU Publications Office designed the book; and student employees were involved both in planting and maintaining trees and in the book's layout and design process.
The book sells for $10 with all proceeds going to a special account for continued maintenance and diversification of trees on campus.
The book is available for mail-order through the WSU Book Store by phone, 507-457-5319. The book is also available at the following Winona book
stores: The Book Shelf, 619 Huff Street; Book World, 1213 Gilmore Ave in the Winona Mall; and Paperbacks and Pieces, 429 Mankato Av. |
