A rally planned to celebrate the dying Toomer’s oaks this Saturday may do more harm than good according to the Emotional Agronomist, Stephen Enloe, an Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Soils at Auburn University.
When told about “Toomer’s Tree Hug,” a Facebook event page created yesterday following news that the iconic oaks were purposefully poisoned and which currently boasts more than 6,000 “attendees,” Enloe seemed concerned.
Enloe joked that he couldn’t comment on the scientific efficacy of actually hugging the trees, “but to be honest with you, the less impact below there right now would be the best thing for them.”
Does a crowd of six thousand grieving Auburn fans armed with toilet paper count as a significant impact?
“I wouldn’t want 100 people stomping around the base of those trees to be honest with you,” Enloe said. “I don’t think that’s a great idea.”
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Hi, I’m Erin St. John. I am coordinating this event.
Just to be clear, We won’t actually be HUGGING the tree. The hugs should be reserved for other members of the Auburn Family who need a shoulder in this painful time. The Trees’ roots are very fragile and the health of the trees are our number one priority so we will be keeping a safe distance from the trees while holding the “Hug.” Thanks
I think it was so wrong for the trees at toomers corner to be hurt but think that is so sad that trees get more attention than babies or humans that are killed on a regular basis, Really a rally for trees when millions of babies are aborted and people are killed in sensless violence on a regular basis.It is a sad day when trees and animals rate higher than people…
yes tiana, those subjects never get attention in the media and rallies are never held by people outraged by them. excellent point.
Rolling the trees puts a tremendous amount of stress on them (really the cleanup part) and they may die during the season or before. My suggestion is to try and preserve them by asking fans not to roll them from now til the iron bowl. Win or lose we roll the trees national champion style. Have a white out for the game. Maybe even have team in white though the blues are so awesome. Sunday morning/evening some professional take a pic at sunrise/sunset of the best rolling toomers ever got. Cut them down monday (assuming its to the point that they are a hazard) and have picture frames made out of them with the pic of the last rolling and sell/auction them to pay for whatever will be put back there. I think that’d be a neat way to say goodbye and have something to hold on to.
“Many of those trees were my friends, creatures I had known from nut and acorn; many had voices of their own that are lost forever now. And there are wastes of stump and bramble where once there were singing groves…. It is the orc-work, the wanton hewing – rárum – without even the bad excuse of feeding the fires, that has so angered us….There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men bad enough for such treachery.” – Treebeard, Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkein
Well played, aubieNC.
Lord, please don’t do something lame like make picture frames out of them an use it for a fundraiser. IF they die, please let some artist make a wooden statue (Aubie, maybe) or some other piece of Auburn art out of it.
@THORShammer-
I think that is a great idea, that way future generations can still experience the trees (in a sense) and how much they mean to all of us.
@Thor
I thought about that too, but our administration would probably do something with the wood and put it outside where some crazed bammer could burn it and finish the job. that’s why I was thinking it would be good to split it up amongst AU fans. They could still keep a big chunk the trunk and maybe have someone carve a wooden tiger similar to the other tigers scattered around town or an aubie and maybe put it in the sports museum. Sorry you don’t like my idea, but no reason to drag the Lord into this.
Well… stupid is as stupid does. Great job making a bad situation worse.