The Foresight of the School of Forestry

Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences is a flagship institution for natural resources, forestry, and wildlife, as well as the back bone to Alabama’s $22 billion forest, wildlife, and natural resources industry. Focused on creating a sustainable future, the School strives to translate students’ interests into rewarding careers and create new knowledge through research to benefit individuals, communities, and businesses.

In 2002, Scott Enebak, professor of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, led a group of Forestry students to collect acorns from the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner. As a part of this seedling program, the acorns were planted and cultivated in an orchard on Auburn forest property.

“We [collected the acorns] with the idea that if anything happened to the trees, there would be progeny to replace them,” Enebak said. “Obviously we had no idea there would be a need so soon.”

As many members of the Auburn Family know, the legendary Auburn Oaks were tragically poisoned in 2011. However, thanks to Enebak and the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, descendants of the original Auburn Oaks will be planted in Samford Park at Toomer’s Corner to continue the trees’ legacy.

Two large live oaks have already been planted at the College Street and Magnolia Avenue intersection, and in 2016, twenty-one live oak trees are to be planted along the new brick walkway that connects Samford Hall to Toomer’s Corner.

“I’m pleased they’ll be planted in Samford Park where their parents stood for more than 80 years,” said Enebak.

Forty-two descendants of the original Auburn Oaks are located on Auburn forest property. They were cultivated and prepared for eventual transplantation, thanks to Enebak’s foresight.

Individuals, families, companies, and foundations can have the privilege of naming a tree in recognition of a $50,000 philanthropic gift to Auburn University.

These gifts will go into an endowed fund for excellence benefitting the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The fund will support new scholarships, expand faculty members’ instructional, research, and outreach efforts, and improve the many programs that benefit students’ career success.

Though the rolling of the new trees will be postponed until their roots grow strong enough—at least a year—the Auburn Oaks are a unique tradition that, thanks to the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, will vibrantly live on.

“The foresight of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences has enabled Auburn University to develop a spirited design solution that will extend the legacy of the Auburn Oaks for generations,” said Jim Carroll, university architect.