Nearly century-old oak tree binds Colham Ferry third-graders

Diane Parr found herself drawn into an unusual project last year, with roots literally dating close to a century. A third-grade teacher at Colham Ferry Elementary School, Parr has organized school efforts to preserve a tree that has been towering over the grounds for generations.

The oak tree is recorded as being nearly 100 years old. It was planted in the early 1900s and served as a gathering place for students when the grounds were the location of the Rosenwald School that was built for black children in the community.

"It is a Southern Red Oak and is almost the largest on record for the state of Georgia," Parr said. "It is the largest, we believe, in Oconee County from some past records we found at the Watkinsville library. It has a circumference of 179 inches and a diameter of 57 inches."

The preservation project began last year after the school received a visit from Steve Pettis, a University of Georgia arborist.

"We began talking about the condition of this large tree at the school and the ground surrounding it," Parr said. "Mr. Pettis gave suggestions on what could be done to protect it."

According to Parr, the inspiration to begin the tree's preservation was the school's third-grade Garden Earth Naturalist Club.

"I have seen this tree outside my classroom for eight years and the ground eroding from the mobile classroom parked on the roots," Parr said.

"Our Naturalist Club is deeply involved in environmental issues and especially concerned with those that affect our school grounds," she said.

The overall goal of the project is to protect the tree from erosion.

"We want to be sure that the tree is saved from root damage caused by erosion and having a trailer parked on top of them," Parr said. "We also want to make kids environmentally aware of their Earth and surroundings. It takes all of us to protect what we value."

During the past year, the project has continued to progress through a government grant from the University of Georgia.

"We were awarded a $300 Eugene Odum Environmental Grant, and we used those funds to purchase soil and fertilizer," Parr said. "The Odum grants are awarded as part of the GreenFest and presented as a way to encourage young

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