The giving trees

As rain clouds moved in, Mary Broom Dateo ’79 and her husband, Chris Dateo, looked over 30 newly planted fruit trees in Old River Park. The saplings are part of the University’s efforts to improve sustainable food sources — an effort that will bear fruit, thanks to a gift from the Dateos.

Mary, an engineer-turned-landscape designer, looks to her family roots in gardening as a main source of inspiration for her love of plants.

“[Trees] sequester carbon; they help water percolate into the ground and slowly release it; help prevent flooding; they give us shade and counter the heat island effect; they filter air pollution; they put us in touch with nature,” Mary said. “And they’re just beautiful.”

She and Chris, a retired NASA scientist, also have been working to align their lifestyles with their sustainability goals — they drive electric cars, eat a more plant-based diet and even farm fruit trees to truly eat local. So when they learned about efforts to expand sustainable food sources at UD, they knew it was meant to be.

“I’m just excited about how UD is moving on sustainability,” Mary said.

“I’m proud that my university is taking action the way it is.”

The saplings will provide apples, pears, cherries, plums and peaches when they reach maturity. According to Steve Kendig, executive director of energy utilization and environmental sustainability, the fruit, along with the current garden bounty from Old River Park, will go to Catering Services for special events, Miami Valley Meals and the Brook Center’s Food4Flyers.

The couple also helped secure four grape vines, six evergreen trees in Serenity Pines, and three London plane trees now planted between C Lot and Marianist Hall.

“In Ohio, the trees have been dying from different diseases and insects,” said Rob Eichenauer, director of grounds maintenance and operations. “We’re having to remove trees faster than we’ve been able to replant, so to have somebody who is willing to help, we’re very grateful.”