Jan. 9, 2023 Collin College received a donation of 600 trees and plants from Chambersville Tree Farms in Celina. The local business, owned by Dean and Carol Oswald, closed its doors last month. The remaining inventory comprised this donation which will be distributed to campuses across the district.

Its never easy seeing a local business close its doors, said Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College district president. But we're grateful to receive such a generous donation that will honor the essence of Chambersville Farms by finding a new home for each beautiful tree on our campuses.

The 18-year-old business was a staple in North Texas, specializing in trees, shrubs, and plants native to the region. After the decision to sell the more than 250 acres of land where Chambersville Farms stood, the Oswalds began the process of delivering trees to Collin Colleges Wylie Campus where they will be cared for until planting begins.

We knew wed end up with several trees after liquidating our inventory, Dean Oswald said. We wanted to do something that could be beneficial to our Collin County community, and we thought Collin College would be perfect for this. We knew the trees would be cared for and at the same time beautify the already impressive campuses.

Collin College serves more than 57,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.