Photo: Donna Meredith
“The Tallahassee Garden Club is asking you to nominate your favorite live oak to become part of the Third Live Oak Trail. The next time you walk through your neighborhood or on a local trail, take time to appreciate the live oaks and snap a photograph of the biggest and best. Tree candidates should be visible from the street or on public property.
‘Citizens have an opportunity to become part of a community celebration honoring Tallahassee’s natural beauty — these are our trees,’ said Sudi Scott, TGC tree chair and trail coordinator.
After nominations are gathered, the Tallahassee Democrat will publish a list of locations on the trail. Just as families drive through nearby neighborhoods to view Christmas light displays, they will be able drive slowly through neighborhoods to savor a view of our heritage trees from the safety of their cars. Or citizens can stroll along a greenway or trail to enjoy groves of these ancient trees.
TGC, in cooperation with local teachers, will offer suggestions for ways parents can pass along the history and ecological importance of our heritage trees to the next generation.
‘By documenting our oldest live oak trees, our community would help revive the importance of Tallahassee’s trees and carry over an appreciation of our history,’ said Scott. She hopes the Third Live Oak Trail will gain support for thoughtful planning so Tallahassee’s citizens can preserve our city’s natural beauty today for future generations.
‘Beauty equals livability,’ Scott said…
Those trees that were on Tallahassee’s earlier Live Oak Trails will also be included if they still stand. The first Live Oak Trail took place June 6, 1940. It was co-sponsored by the Tallahassee Garden Club and the Community Planning Council. The second event was held April 13 and 14, 1941.
These original Live Oak Trails aimed to prevent destruction of the city’s live oaks, according to “The Live Oak Trail” (1999) by Carolyde Phillips O’Bryan. O’Bryan’s main resource was a scrapbook kept by her aunt, Carrie Edwards Elliot, who was instrumental in organizing the first trail. Carrie Elliot, along with her garden club colleagues and the Committee Planning Council, deserve much credit for tree preservation in Tallahassee and the development of protective ordinances.
As the book’s preface makes clear: ‘The giant live oak trees that give Tallahassee its shade and beauty are here today because of the efforts of a small group of men and women who struggled over many years to keep the city from cutting them down.’
Carrie Elliot’s legacy continues today as TGC launches a Third Live Oak Trail, and citizens strive to protect these grand oaks that are part of Tallahassee’s heritage… ”
— Donna Meredith, Tallahassee Democrat
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