The Trail Marker Tree Partnership

Cody Azotea and Eric Pinto

Published May 2026 in International Oaks No. 37: 327–330

Abstract

Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri) is developing the WashU Arboretum on its Danforth campus by increasing the percentage of native wild-sourced species. Key to this initiative is fostering meaningful partnerships. A significant collaboration with the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies (St. Louis, Missouri) and with International Oak Society member Guy Sternberg has led to the establishment of a campus partnership focused on planting a new generation of trail marker trees in collaboration with local Native American community groups. Historically, trail marker trees are hardwood trees that, when young, were bent to point in a specific direction to help travelers find their way. The WashU initiative began in 2021 with the planting of the Illinois trail tree Quercus alba ‘Pathfinder’. Subsequent efforts to expand the collection involved visiting sites with native community members, and collecting seeds from other identified trail marker trees including from a local Q. alba (Warrenton, Missouri) in 2022, as well as from nearby Q. velutina and Juglans nigra (in 2025). This project highlights the importance of community engagement in the growth and development of the WashU Arboretum.

Keywords

Focal Pointe, Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies, Native American, Indigenous

References

Russell, R. and E.J. Jablonski. 2017. New Oak Cultivars 2017. International Oaks 28: 89-94.