Walking Between the Trees
Written by: Christopher Reed
Every College student at a large university has to take a long walk to somewhere on campus daily, and if not daily, at least weekly. My question is; why would you ever want to spend your time walking on uneven bricks when you could be walking on a dirt trail through a beautiful forest? The Sehome Hill Arboretum, commonly called “The Arb”, is Western Washington Universities answer to this dilemma. The trails in the Arb span from south campus to north campus and are arguably just as quick as the pathways on campus. Every day on my walk home I take a detour from Red Square (the largest common place on campus) into the arb, and walk to the top of Bill McDonald Parkway. Though that walk may be short, it is very refreshing and honestly is the highlight of my day after class is over. Compared to other universities I’d say that Western has the best natural walking trails of anywhere else I’ve been to.
The direct definition of Arboretum is, “A botanical garden devoted to trees”. Here at Western Washington University it is much more than that. Over years and years of existence the Arb has gone from a place for coal mining and logging to a natural reserve of wildlife. This major shift in view happened when Western Washington University, then known as the “Basic School”, was donated the majority of land in the Arb by the companies who had already industrialized its resources. The University then made the decision to make the forest behind Old Main (the first building created on campus) the beginning of a wildlife refuge. Years later the Arb has been almost completely donated, but now has been completely turned into a wildlife refuge. A very kind sight for the environmentally inclined such as myself.
One of the biggest complaints in the Arb is simply how muddy and slippery it gets. The large cliffs that give way to mud slopes are basically impossible to change, thus creating a large slippery slope to fall on. While people most likely do get hurt here, most injuries are to one’s ego because said person most likely fell in front of their friends and possibly some strangers. For a person like myself with a pretty severe back injury, it can be kind of scary to walk through especially after a fresh rain. Personally I love walking in the arb after a rain, it makes everything even more beautiful. During my observations I watched as group after group of people fell on their butts down a particularly slippery hill that ends with the beginning of a staircase. At the top of that staircase the stairs are even and straight, but as you continue down the stairs begin to become slippery and uneven. The dangers of falling here sometimes do outweigh the beauty of the place, but you always have to test the limits to know them.
One of the greatest strengths of the Arb is simply its dirt paths, listening to music and observing the surroundings are a huge part of many people’s walks home. If you aren’t a big walker there are still plenty of places to hangout that aren’t too deep into the paths, making it an ideal area for most people.
Another major complaint may be slightly more serious to people who are not currently attending college, and that complaint is the smoking of marijuana in the Arb. While this is majority unheard of, I know some college students at Western that do, in fact, have a problem with the smell of pot. I say this because a poll taken last year stated that “only” 85% of Western’s students smoke pot. That’s roughly 18,000 students who claimed to smoke pot on a regular basis. If the smell of pot makes you nauseas or gives you a headache, the Arb and Western may not be for you.
In conclusion, the Arb is a fantastic place to take a nice stroll home and de-stress, if you are the right person. The dirt pathways and tall standing trees make for a sense of calmness and connect you more to nature without making you travel deep into the wilderness. If you ever have a chance to take a stroll through here I highly suggest that you do so, especially if you’re drunk and its night time because chances are you will create a great story to tell your children when they turn 18.
