Jennifer Robinson, a North Platte native now residing in Atlanta, Georgia, has donated a tree to Tree Lane Road at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center. When visiting North Platte, the Golden Spike Tower or Buffalo Bill State Historical Park might be at the top of the list. Yet, for some North Platte natives like Robinson, Tree Lane Road might be the only destination in mind.
Now a yoga instructor and studio manager in Atlanta, Robinson's fondest memories growing up are tied to Tree Lane Road: cross country practice, traveling to church and capturing key moments with pictures. After finding her love for Tree Lane Road at an early age, Robinson is now giving back with the donation of a tree. "Tree Lane Road is a beautiful place, and it has brought me a lot of joy," Robinson said.
Robinson takes every opportunity to visit Tree Lane Road when she returns to North Platte. With every visit, Robinson took note of the condition of the hackberry trees that were planted in the early 1920s after the WCREEC opened in 1904. Robinson regularly received updates from family on the state of the trees and any weather events that may have impacted them.
The timing of Robinson's donation coincidently comes after a recent storm damaged many trees at the WCREEC and by Tree Lane Road. Due to the storm, six trees along Tree Lane Road were cut down for safety reasons while many others were trimmed. "The donation was timely because we had space for about five new trees to go in a.