Historic trees at Windham Public Library receive long-awaited identification tags

By Masha Yurkevich

Visitors to Windham Public Library can now learn the stories behind several trees that have quietly grown on the library grounds for decades. The Friends of Windham Public Library recently completed a tree-tagging project, installing identification bracelets on historic trees planted on the property.

New identification tags at Windham Public
Library tell the stories behind three historic
trees, including a tulip poplar, a ginkgo and 
a Princeton elm, connecting visitors to the
library's history and community partnerships.
SUBMITTED PHOTO    

Jennifer Alvino Wood, director of the Windham Public Library, said the project helps identify trees that were planted in honor of the groups that donated them.

"This project has been a way to identify the trees on the library property that were planted in honor of the groups that donated them," Wood said.

Three trees on the property are now tagged, including a tulip poplar, a ginkgo and a Princeton elm, which was planted by the Windham High School Class of 1962. The tags identify the type of tree, where it came from, who donated it, who planted it and the date it was planted.

The Friends of Windham Public Library identified the trees and created the tags.

For Laurel Parker, a member of the Friends of Windham Public Library and co-president of the Longfellow Garden Club, the project has been decades in the making. The Longfellow Garden Club purchased the two historic trees planted at the library in 1995. The club, established in 1924, continues its mission of supporting gardens and community beautification projects throughout the region.

Parker’s connection to the trees dates back to 1995, when she led Girl Scout Troop 705. The troop was part of the National Historic Tree Project, which distributed seedlings connected to historically significant locations across the country for communities to plant.

"It is always said that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years before you want it to grow," Parker said.

Working with the Longfellow Garden Club, the troop planted two historic trees on the library grounds in May 1995. Although the trees have continued to grow for more than 30 years, they remained unidentified until this summer, when the Friends of Windham Public Library completed the tagging project.

One of the trees is a tulip poplar grown from a seedling connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, New York. The other is a ginkgo descended from one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright historic properties.

The identification plaques are attached to each tree in the form of what Parker described as a “tree bracelet.” The 4-by-6-inch plaques are secured with a spring that expands as the tree grows.

Parker said the bracelets were designed so they would not damage the trees as they mature. A protective plastic sleeve covers part of the spring, allowing the bracelet to expand as the trunk grows without cutting into the bark. The design ensures the tags can remain in place for years while continuing to identify each tree for library visitors.

"I thought it was important that the trees be tagged so everybody knew who they were," Parker said.

The library was chosen as the planting site because of the involvement Parker had with both the Girl Scouts and the Longfellow Garden Club, along with her longtime connection to the library. Parker served as the children's librarian for 25 years and said the project reflected a desire to improve the library grounds while encouraging environmental awareness.

"I hope that people realize that it does make a difference when you make a planting like this," Parker said. "It connects history and people."

She summarized the purpose of planting and identifying the trees with just one word, "Connection."

Wood said the tagged trees are only part of the library property history.

"We have many types of trees, plantings, and other items on our property donated and planted to recognize groups or volunteers and library supporters who have passed away," Wood said. "The library is a place where people can come, see the items, and remember the people and groups who are honored by them."

Wood says she encourages residents to explore the grounds and discover those stories for themselves. "Take a walk around our property," Wood said. "There is a lot to see and a lot of history here."

More than 30 years after the first two historic trees were planted, the new identification tags ensure visitors can better appreciate the history, partnerships and community connections rooted throughout the grounds of Windham Public Library. <