Living legacy

Sometimes an idea really does take on a life of its own. For Nancy MacKerrow, an idea to plant trees through the Spokane community and beyond is rooted in the death of her daughter Susie. In 2002, Susie Stephens, a bicyclist, environmentalist and activist, died when struck by a bus while legally walking across a street in St. Louis, Mo. At first, MacKerrow did what parents do when a child dies. She wept, she cursed, she ached for her daughter. She grieved. And then she tried to find meaning again in a life that felt empty. A year-and-a-half after her daughter’s death, MacKerrow planted three trees in Spokane — the first, in memory of her first grandchild, stillborn in 1993; the second, in memory of Susie at the Japanese Garden in Manito Park (Stephens had been an exchange student in Japan during high school); and the third, in memory of a friend’s baby who died at birth in 2003. Shortly afterwards, MacKerrow realized that it wasn’t just trees she was actually planting, but a forest—‘the Susie Forest,’ she decided. “The Susie Forest is a living, growing, legacy to my daughter and her commitment to creating livable communities,” she said. “Susie was passionate about teaching others about bicyclist and pedestrian safety.” And now MacKerrow has found her passion in planting. Her goals are simple but meaningful: 1. To plant trees 2. To encourage others to plant trees. 3. To educate people, especially children, about trees. Now every tree that MacKerrow plants has some connection to someone she knows or someone she meets. For example, she has planted trees in celebration of a birth, a special anniversary, as a tribute or memorial, or to celebrate a reading program. (She’s a former librarian for the Spokane Public Libraries, so has a soft spot for literacy efforts) While MacKerrow has since planted trees all over the world, even as far away as New Zealand and Iran, it is Spokane, where her daughter was raised, that continues to have special significance. Now, eight years after her daughter’s tragic death, MacKerrow is preparing to plant her 100th tree in the city of Spokane in memory of her daughter, carefully planned out so that this event would coincide with the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage in Washington. And she’s even involved the League of Women Voters. That’s what MacKerrow does best: involves people in Susie’s memory in ways that she could have never imagined. In September, MacKerrow sponsored a tree walk in the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood where neighbors gathered to pick the Neighborhood Tree of the Year. The winner will choose where another ‘Susie’ tree will be planted. MacKerrow believes it is this kind of gathering that Susie would have enjoyed—bringing neighbors together to walk, to learn about trees, and to make a difference. It is in this way that she best keeps Stephen’s spirit alive. “As I plant trees in memory of my daughter, I am continually amazed how this has taken on a life of its own. These trees’ roots grow deep into the soil, and Susie’s life has taken on new meaning. I see the way she continues to make a difference. This makes me happy,” said MacKerrow.