Tom Kroll

Land Manager, Saint John's Arboretum Director

"Naturally, the land provides the setting for one of the most beautiful campuses in America."

These sentiments from Tom Kroll, land manager and arboretum director at Saint John's, reflect his deep appreciation for and belief in the Benedictine traditions of stewardship and stability established by Saint John's more than 150 years ago. "These traditions formalized the desire of the Saint John's community to preserve, protect and restore the land on which they live and work, resulting in the designation of 2,500 acres of land as a natural arboretum in 1997," says Kroll.

With the prairie plants, mushrooms, birds, forestry and much more, the arboretum could be classified as the largest classroom at CSB/SJU. Providing a variety of field and lab work opportunities, CSB/SJU students from many disciplines, including education and biology utilize the arboretum. According to Kroll, "Activities for CSB/SJU students include elementary education practice teaching, water quality studies, oak regeneration surveys, prescribed burns on the prairie and spiritual renewal."

The arboretum also provides educational opportunities outside of the CSB/SJU community. Each year, nearly 5,000 K-12 students participate in field trips at the arboretum. The field trips are coordinated with classroom activities and meet mandated graduation standards. A common trip is the 1.5 mile boardwalk loop, which provides students with experiences with prairies, wetlands, hardwoods, conifers and oak savanna habitats.

Kroll is quick to point out that the success of the arboretum can be credited to the vision of its founder, Fr. Paul Schwietz, OSB, the community and his group of co-workers, including John Geissler, Br. Christian Breczinski, OSB, Kyhl Lyndgaard and Dan Vogel. Community members Gary Pflueger and John Detterman also join the crew to assist with harvesting. "Their knowledge of the land is obvious and their interest in sharing a love of the land is infectious."

Kroll invites everyone to enjoy the many treasures of the arboretum. "The entire 2,500 acres is available for educational opportunities. Whether it's tree identification on the inner campus, a nature and history walk to the chapel or maple syruping, it is all fun."