From Wednesday, April 21 through Friday, April 23, the Linnaeus Arboretum is hosting “Trees for Heart, Mind and Spirit,” an event which celebrates the beauty of trees and the inspiration the Arb can offer to each visitor. The event corresponds with Earth Week, which is hosted by the Gustavus Greens.

“We tend to take trees for granted, assuming they will always be there for us to enjoy. Society is coming to realize, however, that trees, like we, are vulnerable to the changes in our environment,” Arboretum Interim Director Herb Chilstrom said. “As [members of Gustavus], every student owes it to him [or] herself to become intimately acquainted with this important element in our environment. This ‘Trees’ event is such an opportunity right at our doorstep.”

“The closest arboretum of this size is located near the Twin Cities, so in our local area this is the place to experience the beauty of gardens, restored prairie, deciduous and coniferous woods and a sense of history all in the same location,” Arboretum Naturalist Bob Dunlap said. “Trees for Heart, Mind and Spirit highlights several means in which to enjoy this natural space.”

Each day of the event accents a different aspect of enjoying trees. Wednesday opens the celebration with “Trees for the Heart,” and will include an Arboretum Fun Run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with an Arb Clean-Up also happening from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Chilstrom said, “For those who have never done [the Fun Run], it will become the first of many such runs they will take in days and years to come. This place is infectious. You learn to love it.”

Thursday celebrates “Trees for the Mind.” All are invited to the opening of an exhibit of wood carvings at 11:30 a.m. in the Interpretive Center. The carvings were made by Sister Mary Ann Osborne, a member of the Notre Dame convent society in Mankato. “I’m greatly looking forward to … Osborne’s wood artwork display … Mary Ann is a phenomenal artist and even the ‘unartsy’ types, such as myself, will be wowed,” Dunlap said. Following the exhibit opening there will be a presentation at 12:30 p.m. by Susie Carlin, a member of the Minnesota River Board. Carlin will be discussing the Minnesota River and how vulnerable it is to changes in the environment.

The three-day event concludes on Friday with “Trees for the Spirit.” The day opens with a presentation by Chilstrom at 11:30 a.m. in the Interpretive Center. “I’ll [be discussing] some reflections on how trees have played a major role in various religious traditions, and especially those of the Christian church,” Chilstrom said.

Following the presentation, at 12:00 p.m. attendees will have the option of participating in an exercise routine called Qi Gong in the Arboretum, led by instructor Char Lusher. The celebration will end at 12:30 p.m. with a concert in the Arboretum by the Gustavus Vasa Wind Orchestra titled “Music amongst the Trees.”

“[It’s a] full and magnificent three-day event, all within a few steps of any of the dorms,” Chilstrom said.

“For someone like me who enjoys being outdoors, nature, happiness and fulfillment are all a part of the same experience,” Dunlap said. “At any given moment I’d rather be outside in nature than indoors in an office, observing the varied blooms of prairie wildflowers and listening to a symphony of red-winged blackbirds and western chorus frogs. In order to be happy, we need to know that these things exist and that we have the opportunity to experience them for ourselves whenever we choose; without these experiences I believe our lives would be very dull indeed.”

For more information on the Trees for Heart, Mind and Spirit event or simply visiting the Arboretum, go to the Linnaeus Arboretum website.