December 15, 2010
Davey Tree awards scholarship to Jarid Perrin
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Jarid Perrin, a junior majoring in forestry at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is the recipient of a scholarship from Davey Tree, a national tree, shrub and lawn care company.
Perrin’s Davey Arbor Grant Scholarship, a $1,000 award, is one of 30 granted across the nation.
Tom Beshoar, an SIUC alum and representative of Davey Tree in St. Louis, came to SIUC to present the scholarship. He noted that several SIUC alumni not only find employment at Davey Tree, but also find themselves able to advance to high positions within the company.
Perrin, who is from Rochelle, said he is still looking for his perfect fit within forestry specializations, but he is looking closely at urban forestry.
“I realized I want to get out and work with trees, but I also really enjoy working with people,” he said. “I’m most interested in finding ways to help tree species and animals adjust as suburbs grow, to help find ways for people and the natural environment to co-exist.”
Perrin said he grew up with a love of the outdoors. The idea of being a forest ranger dates back to his childhood, he said, and he playfully counts his family and also Yogi Bear as early influences.
More recently, though, he held a summer internship with Davey Tree, working in the west Chicago area, and he notes that as a source of inspiration for his interest in urban forestry. He described his internship as “great fun and very rewarding.”
“It was hard work, I’d come home at night and just be tired. I loved it,” he said.
On campus, Perrin is vice president of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Order, a local chapter working hard to earn its charter with the national organization. Perrin’s influence in the fraternity is noticeable in some of the group’s volunteer work at Giant City State Park and the local Free Again wild animal rehabilitation center. Perrin has discovered rock climbing since moving to Southern Illinois. He brought with him a voracious reading habit.
For more information about the SIUC forestry program, visit www.coas.siu.edu.