Cladrastis kentukea (syn. c. lutea) - Yellowwood

"My wife is very close to nature," says the full-blooded naturalist, who experimented with chemicals from the drugstore when he was 12. "She grows our vegetables - peppers, tomatoes or courgettes - herself in the garden and doesn't use pesticides or fertilisers." The two got to know each other after Rudolf Huth came to HSWT in Triesdorf in 1997. "Bavaria was unthinkable for me at that time. I was extremely rooted in NRW through my previous activities in developing and applicating analytical instruments," says the 65-year-old. But he also admits immediately that he would never have regretted this step.

For 24 years, his university career has revolved around analysing air, soil and water - pollutants in nature. However, his wife's green thumb and her enthusiasm for nature, plants, and insects made the relevance of environmental and climate protection measures clear for the passionate chemist. And, of course, the topic of sustainability has been a particular preoccupation of his since, as the University of 'Applied Sciences' Environmental Officer, he has been concerned with resource efficiency or the annual EMAS certification, among other things. "A few weeks ago, the current EMAS audit took place with an environmental auditor in Weihenstephan. And, on that occasion, we also visited the arboretum site," Rudolf Huth remembers vividly. Because he - just like the expert - would have been deeply impressed by the project and the first trees that had already been planted. "At that point it was clear to me that I didn't just want to talk about improving our environmental performance or present figures, but do something myself," says the tree sponsor of American yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea).

For the selection of their tree, the couple, together with their son, who does forest maintenance in his spare time, had intensively studied the climate and future trees for the arboretum. "We didn't want just any tree, but one that would establish a relationship with us," says Huth. What they liked about the sponsor tree was that, according to their research, it had already been native to Europe before the Ice Age and - because of the rising temperatures today, it can feel at home again and develop well in our latitudes. "It is also a popular bee tree, and various bird species also feed on its fruit," Rudolf Huth explains. In her garden, Sabine Huth also attaches particular importance to providing insects and birds with a small green home. Her own home is Weißenburg. She grew up here and would have strictly refused to move any further to the vicinity of Triesdorf. "Sabine is rooted in Weißenburg like a tree," says Rudolf Huth. He has long since put down deep roots there - despite his former ties to NRW. That is exactly what the American yellowwood will do in the arboretum: it will grow, blossom and provide a valuable habitat from which not only the surrounding flora and fauna will benefit but also generations of students and visitors.