Maintenance Plants New Trees Near Campus Creek

Photo courtesy of @tfc_sticks Instagram.

Toccoa Falls College’s grounds maintenance crew has planted fresh saplings near the main creek on campus after students objected to the removal and trimming of trees outside their dorms. 

According to Associate Vice President of Operations Merlin Schenck, approximately 250 to 300 trees were planted in early March. The trees were added during the repair of Toccoa Creek’s bank, which runs alongside Forrest Drive and Hansen Road. Schenck said there are no plans to replace the trees by the Forrest and Fant dorms, despite student dissent. 

The new trees include 150 to 200 “live stake species.” According to the Georgia Soil and Water Commission, live stakes are “living, woody plant cuttings.” The stakes can extend up to three hundred yards. Schneck said about a hundred transplant species were planted, including buttonbush, tag alder and sycamore. He also said that these trees will “help control future erosion and provide stabilization to the creek bank.” 

Root development is the most important part of live stake growth during the first season. It is likely that students will see some plant growth near the stream bank during the first year, but it will be a few years before we see full trees on campus. 

This project occurred after maintenance removed trees outside Forrest and Fant Halls and an outside company overly trimmed the trees outside LeTourneau Hall in the spring semester of 2020. 

Photo courtesy of @tfc_sticks Instagram.

Students responded to the trimming and removal of trees on campus by expressing their anger in humorous ways. In 2020, the Instagram account @tfc_sticks posted a picture of the trimmed Bradford Pear trees outside LeTourneau Hall. The caption included a quote from Luke 13:6-9, followed by, “Little did Dr. Bob know... these weren’t fig trees.” 

Photo courtesy of @tfc_sticks Instagram.

Students still have strong opinions two years later. Nursing major Mary Anna Saverance said, “They’ve taken what little shade we had on campus. Do they want us to shrivel up on the pavement between classes?” 

“I really hope they don’t cut down any more trees because trees are where I put my hammock. And if I can’t be one of those girls who hammock, then who am I?” Communications major and Resident Assistant Ami Gurta said.