Fliers aren’t the only thing littering FAMUs campus nowadays.
Due to the amount of falling limbs during storms on campus, FAMUs plant operations and maintenance is on a mission: to designate all oak trees on campus.
The designation of oak trees on campus is for the betterment and safety of the university and its inhabitants and visitors.
For about two months, the Assistant Director of Grounds James Coleman his team along with FAMUs greenhouse and school archives, have been visiting different areas on campus to determine how long these trees have been around.
“With the help of George Leland we were able to determine that most of these oak trees were planted sometime between 1956 and 1957,” said Coleman.
Coleman said some trees were even planted when the school was first established.
The three main types of oak trees that were planted on campus are live oaks, water oaks and red oaks.
“Throughout campus, tree limbs fall and are a danger to students and faculty,” Coleman said. “So this research that we are doing is in order to determine and evaluate which trees are danger spots.”
According to a storm report by the National Weather Service, one of the biggest dangers during storms are fallen trees and tree limbs causing damage to homes, power lines, cars and, in some cases, pedestrians.
“I think this is a really good idea,” said Takara Lawyer, 20, an accounting student from Tallahassee. ” Now that’s one less thing I have to worry about damaging my car.”
With the designation of oak trees, Coleman plans for this to help lower the dangers of fallen limbs, which could occur more during the hurricane season.
Once a tree has been determined as a danger spot, the next step depends on what type of oak it is. If the tree is a red or water oak, then it can be removed immediately.
“The removal of the tree is done by the arbor department from the city after it is inspected,” said Coleman.
However, if the tree is a live oak, then permission must be granted for it to be removed, unless is causes an immediate threat. An immediate threat for a live oak can be the cause of damage due to extreme weather conditions or through natural decay.