JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A historic Oak tree will be removed from the campus of Episcopal School of Jacksonville Monday. Experts said the tree could be as old as 400 years but it is rotting and isn't safe to leave on campus.
The tree stands around 90 feet tall and it's branches spread out about 150 feet. It was already fully grown when the property was donated to Episcopal in the 1880's.
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"You see that orange ball over there, that's fungus we've had them all over and we've taken them as much as we can," said Charley Zimmer.
Head of school, Charley Zimmer, at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville is talking about a huge part of the school's history. Their community is devastated that the tree has to go. It's dying and is too dangerous to stay standing.
"You can see right here, for instance, that split going right up there that's another bad sign. And the whole tree itself is just very rotten inside, from a safety point of view, I just can't take that chance," said Zimmer.
The tree could be older than 400 years. It became even more special when it became a memorial for Dale Regan, a longtime educator and head of the school who was shot and killed in 2012 by a teacher who had just been fired.
The community raised $300,000 and put a 12,700-square-foot deck around the tree's base. Zimmer said this was Regans favorite spot.
Although this is a sad day and the tree will be greatly missed, it's the right decision and the Episcopal community has life long memories.
"The tree is the circle of life to some degree. I am very very sad about what's happening here. But we have no choice. We have no choice," said Zimmer. "I have these pictures in mind... I'll take that away more than anything else."
The plaza will be extended to encompass a smaller Oak called the Legacy Tree that has grown from a branch of it's mother, the Great Oak so the students and faculty will still have a special place to spend their time.
The tree removal is scheduled to begin some time Monday and crews are expected to begin the evaluation by 8 a.m.