Samantha Trybus hopes the 10-foot tree will grow into a symbol for the community to gather round.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Samantha Trybus had a vision.
The associate member of the Conservation Commission and Mount Greylock Regional School student believed that Lanesborough needed a symbol of unity in the town.
Trybus, in discussion with her parents and friends, found that while many other area towns have "holiday trees" that promote resident participation and goodwill gatherings, Lanesborough did not. She set off to change this.
She organized a fundraiser to purchase and plant a holiday tree. And with the help of fellow Commissioner Dean Maynard, of Maynard's Landscaping, she found resources, equipment and time to plant a 10-foot-tall Fraser fir on Wednesday.
With little ceremony, Trybus and high school friends Gianna Auriemma and Shaelyn Roberts got to work removing sod, digging out the planting site, guiding the tree into its place, refilling the site with soil and soil conditioners and packing down the soil around the tree. The evergreen is located on the corner of Main Street and Church Street, highly visible from Route 7.
Trybus envisions the town tree as a gathering place during the holiday season — tree lighting ceremonies, caroling, sing-alongs, and other activities — and that the tree could represent various holidays throughout the year: Valentines Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving or other holidays of significance. She envisions including students from Lanesborough Elementary School in creating holiday ornaments and symbols and taking part in decorating the tree for various holidays throughout the year.
Trybus will take on the responsibility of seeing that the tree is watered, fertilized and kept happy and healthy as it grows over the years. The Fraser fir was specifically picked out for its adaptability to the Lanesborough climate, its beauty in shape, and its potential to grow to heights of 40 feet or more.
Dean Maynard views the activity as having multiple benefits: "I see this as another step in the beautification of Lanesborough, as an opportunity to teach our youth how trees are planted, seeing how it will look over the next 20 years, and I look forward to seeing it decorated and lit this Christmastime.
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