Berry College Plants Select Trees to Replace Trees Planted in 1920 to Honor World War I Casualties
Dec 5, 2009 by Staff Reports, Rome News-Tribune
Berry College is replacing trees originally planted in the 1920s. (photo from Berry student Sarah Garrett)
For nearly a century, visitors to Berry College have enjoyed the shade of oak trees planted in the early 1920s to honor 11 Berry men who were killed during World War I.
Today, campus officials are taking steps to ensure this living memorial continues.
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who has given $50,000 in support of the project, work crews are moving forward with a replacement plan for some of the older trees that the Road of Remembrance from Morgan and Deerfield halls to the four-way stop at the log cabins, then turns left on Memorial Drive to the war memorial near old Victory Lake.
In the coming weeks, approximately 130 willow oaks will be planted along this stretch of roadway. At the same time, a dozen of the older trees that are diseased and reaching the end of their lifespans will be removed.
The new willow oaks have a much longer lifespan than the original trees, mostly water oaks, one-third of which have already been lost because of drought and disease.
According to Berry President Stephen Briggs, projects such as this one are one way in which the college honors founder Martha Berry’s conviction that “beauty is part of education.”
“As an institution, we are committed to preserving and enhancing the amazing campus she has left for us,” said Berry College President Stephen Briggs. “This project is a testament to our strategic goal of making the most of this incomparable asset.”
Planting is expected to begin sometime in the next week. Depending on the weather, the project should take about three weeks to complete.
Tagged: select sustainable tree trust, large shade trees, berry college, sustainable shade trees, campus tree canopy, campus tree memorial, replacement trees