An Oak and its Acorn

I have been asked to retell the story of the oak tree that I told at the opening ceremony of the Natural Theme Playground.  I hope that it will be of interest to the readers.

In June of 1985, I began working for the YMCA supervising summer youth employment students ages 14-17.  One of the tasks was to make sure the beach area was clean and well organized. The “Y” Day Camp used the beach, as well as a few weekend campers.

Next to the road that goes by the beach area was an old, hollowed out oak tree that was struggling to stay alive.  As stated in an earlier tidbit, “Cecropia Moth”, many old oak tress rot from the inside out, with the cambium layer still alive.  This old oak tree was definitely hollowed out with a couple of feet of sawdust chips in the center.  Plus, there was one live branch growing out of the side that extended several feet into the air. This branch was still producing acorns and, in the past, one of them had fallen into the “sawdust” in the center of the tree. Miraculously, the acorn had taken root and was at least 7-8 feet tall!

Over the next two years, this old tree gave out and we had to cut down what was left of it. Without the old tree surrounding it, the new young oak grew stronger by itself and now, 40 years later, it is the magnificent tree that we can see and enjoy today (see picture at right)!  But we must remember that nature renews itself in its own time and not in ours. Appreciate the tree for what it is, beauty, shade and renewal.