CAMDEN—The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In this case, the tree is Cynthia Trone, a long-time resident of Camden and the apple is her son, Jackson Berger, whose Oregon-based outdoor clothing store, Symmetree, has now branched out to become Trone’s retail shop on Bay View Street that goes by the name Symmetree Base Camp.

Trone, who used to manage the former location of The Grasshopper Shop when it was on Bay View Street in the 1980s, has come full circle, back to her retail roots.

The original Symmetree store, in fact, was a home furnishings and accessories business that Trone and her former husband, Denis Berger, owned when their son, Jackson, was a baby after the family moved to Burlington, Vermont.

“Jackson really wanted to honor that original name his dad and I created with own his business, and now, it’s back to being my business name, again,” said Trone.

Jackson, who is a graphic designer and an avid outdoors person, runs the Oregon-based Symmetree with his partner, Skye Rainey.

The Oregon online business sells apparel of his own design while the Camden Symmetree Base Camp sells Jackson’s and Skye’s original T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other apparel. The store also offers environmental books, as well as outdoor gear, such as recycled plastic hammocks and blankets.

Trone’s vision of the Camden-based store reflects her dedication to Buddhism with one corner of the store dedicated to meditation books and pillows.

“We call it ‘Provisions for the Conscious Explorer,” said Trone of the store’s ethos, adding, “The thing I’m most excited about with both companies is that for each product we sell, we plant eight trees through Eden Reforestation.”

Jackson, who was born in Maine, moved out west as an adult to pursue his dreams.

“We have a whole new line of Maine-themed apparel coming that Jackson designed,” said Trone.

The store is a family business with Trone’s youngest daughter, Hadley Berger, serving as her social media manager and Kayla Berger helping with bookkeeping.

The back of the store has been converted to a meditation studio, which Trone will be co-facilitating, and opening to the public.

“I got my master’s degree in mindfulness studies when I was 57, so this store really reflects my interests,” she said.

Trone was the liaison to bring seven Tibetan refugee Buddhist Monks to the Midcoast on a Sacred Arts educational tour in 2019 before the pandemic hit.

The official opening of the store November 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (closed Mondays) and will continue to be open year-round.

For more information visit Symmetree Base Camp at the website and on Instagram (@symmetreemaine).

Correction: This article originally stated that The Cashmere Goat, which previously occupied this space, moved, due to economic pressure brought on by the pandemic. That was incorrect. The Cashmere Goat is located at 21 Mechanic Street in Camden.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com