The Banyan Tree in The Nook is a staple of New College campus life, frequented by students who are looking for a fun place to read, study or just chill and hang out with friends. Students find it easy to perch among the branches either on a sturdy limb, or one of the tree top seats, but third-year Nicholas Beck saw an opportunity to improve this already wonderful spot by rallying students together and buying more amenities for the beloved tree. 

“I want to spoil the banyan tree with my material love, but my wallet hath run slim,” Beck posted to the student email forum on Mar. 9. “I’ve decided it’s time to crowdfund some pizzazz for the tree, so I created a GoFundMe.” 

The linked GoFundMe has a goals tier list, each with items associated with it that has been updated as the goals have been met. Goals include: a shared journal, a new chair, wind chimes, “funny bird feeder” and other fun things that would make for splendid additions to the tree. 

So far, the fundraiser has been successful and raised $195, reaching its first five tiers. At the time of this article’s publication, the fundraiser is $20 – $40 away from having fully funded a Platform Swing. Beck has also been continually updating the forum on the status of the items, revealing a few days ago that some goodies have arrived and will soon be put up in the Banyan Tree.