Help preserve the GIFT of our magnificent trees
“I am the Lorax I speak for the trees.”-
Remember that odd mustachioed character
from Dr. Suess’ The Lorax trying to protect the
fictional truffula trees? Who speaks for the
beloved Live Oak Trees of St. Simons Island?
The answer is GIFT – Golden Isles Fund for
Trees, a non-profit, volunteer managed organization
founded on St. Simons Island and determined
to preserve and enhance the tree canopy
in Glynn County through tree planting, education
and advocacy.
Live Oak Trees (scientific name Quercus
Virginiana) grow along the coastal areas of the
Southern United States from Texas to Virginia.
Visitors to St. Simons Island are enthralled by
the beauty of the moss-draped Live Oak Trees
that arch over our roads and shade our homes
and businesses. There is an old island saying –
“a Live Oak grows for 100 years, lives for 100
years, and dies for 100 years”, but experts agree
that they may live to be 500 years old under the
proper conditions. The long, graceful branches
of the Live Oak, sometimes reaching to the
ground, help stabilize the trees and protect them
from the damaging winds of tropical storms and
hurricanes. Please respect their age and don’t
climb or bounce on the branches.
The Island’s trees are a unique natural asset
that delights visitors and residents alike. Our
canopy of Live Oaks, Eastern Red Cedar, and
Southern Magnolia, along with Laurel Oaks,
Water Oaks and Pines, create a shady, cooling
landscape during the summer months. Our
tree canopy provides habitat for a variety of
songbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey, as well
64 stsimonsguide.com
Betty L. Haynes
/stsimonsguide.com