Auburn's prized Toomer's Corner (130 year old) oak trees poisoned, university says - story with pics

[Kadie]

Auburn's prized Toomer's Corner oak trees poisoned, university says

5:25 p.m. Wednesday, February 16, 2011

By Kristi E. Swartz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The oak trees at Auburn University’s historic Toomer’s Corner were covered in toilet paper as fans celebrated the school’s BSC Championship title.

Now those 130-year old trees may be on their deathbed because of an herbicide, known as Spike 80DF, or tebuthiuron, the university said Wednesday.

Spike 80DF commonly is used to kill trees, the university said. This time it was “deliberately applied in lethal amounts to the soil” around the Toomer’s Corner live oaks, according to a statement.

“There is little chance to save the trees,” the university said.

The buzz about the treasured oak trees started Jan. 27 when someone called The Paul Finebaum Show, a nationally syndicated radio show based in Birmingham, and claimed to have applied the herbicide, the university said.

more...
http://www.ajc.com/sports/auburns-prized-toomers-corner-841586.html?cxtype=ynews_rss



Students and supporters gather to pay tribute to live oaks at Toomer's Corner on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, after word spread that the trees were poisoned recently. Toomer's Corner has long been a site where Auburn fans celebrate big wins, including the football national championship on Jan. 10. (AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, David Bundy)


Toni Rich holds her son Gabriel, 5, as students and supporters gather to pay tribute to live oaks at Toomer's Corner on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, after word spread that the trees were poisoned recently. Toomer's Corner has long been a site where Auburn fans celebrate big wins, including the football national championship on Jan. 10. (AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, David Bundy)


Freshman Katie Jones places a roll of toilet paper at the base of a tree as students and supporters gather to pay tribute to live oaks at Toomer's Corner on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, after word spread that the trees were poisoned recently. Toomer's Corner has long been a site where Auburn fans celebrate big wins, including the football national championship on Jan. 10. (AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, David Bundy)

:(

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. why?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Saokymo]

2. This is cold blooded murder

And nothing less. I hope the authorities find the asshole responsible and make him pay dearly for what he's done.

[FSogol]

3. How horrible. Some asshole's idea of a prank, I imagine. n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. What kind of twisted mind would do that?????

We value our oak trees down here.
We have lost a lot due to hurricanes, sadly.

[Earth_First]

5. Unbelievable

I mean, who does this?!

[TheMightyFavog]

8. A royally pissed off and sick minded Crimson Tide fan?

:shrug:

[WildEyedLiberal]

6. This is HORRIBLE

Ugh... words can't describe my disgust. What gives anyone the right to destroy something so old and beautiful? This goes WAY beyond a "college prank." It leaves that in the dust. Ugh. I feel sick.

[csziggy]

7. The oaks will live one - see this graphic

Great idea to perpetuate the Toomer's Corner oaks. The graphic came from http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/toomers_corners_oaks_poisoning_1.html

At least the Auburn students seem to have their priorities right:

“The (Auburn) forestry department has done a wonderful job getting the offshoots (seedlings) of the trees,” Housel said. “If the trees don’t get well – they can plant some of their progeny to be enjoyed for years to come.

“It’s not going to end everything. Rolling has morphed into what it is today. It’s a change, but it’s a sick change. If the trees die, this isn’t going to stop it.”

Housel was asked what would inspire a man to stoop to such levels.

“That old hate and spite will never go away,” he said. “What’s real sad is not the tree, but the heart of the person who did this. Greed. Spite. Envy. I’d hate to go to bed every night with those.”

More: http://www2.oanow.com/news/2011/feb/16/3/reaction-poisoning-toomers-oaks-travesty-ar-1473343/

The seedling project by the Auburn University Department of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences:
https://fp.auburn.edu/sfws/oaks/MainPage.htm

[d_r]

9. It was an Alabama fan

He called in the Paul Finebaum radio show. He said he was doing it because he had been sent newspaper clippings 28 years ago that said that Auburn students rolled Toomer's corner when Bear Bryant died. That never happened. But it has been becoming an urban legend on internet message boards the last few months. So after the Auburn - Alabama football game this guy did this.

They are going to catch him. He'll go to jail.

I'm an Auburn alum and I'm heartbroken. My kids aren't going to get to grow up and have that experience. Its really like mourning.

I have seen "college pranks." I've seen things like the kids at Michigan and Michigan State painting each other's statues. Or somebody throwing grass seed to spell out something. That sort of thing. But those aren't destructive, they aren't permanent, they don't cause damage. If you look at pictures from one hundred years ago those trees are there by streets with horses and buggies. Generations have passed under them.

There is 65 times the amount of herbicide in the soil that it would take to be lethal. There isn't a lot of hope for those trees. Of course there are seedlings and acorns and life will go on.

The Auburn-Alabama rivalry has gotten beyond ridiculous. It was probably always the most heated, but with both winning the "national championship" the last two years it has gotten to the point of obscene. Not good clean collegiate fun. Absurdity.

[AlabamaLibrul]

14. I have to ask - WTF? This auburn alabama shit is ridiculous anyway, but a moron called into a

radio show and took credit?

I use the indefinite article "a" moron, as it may not be the same moron who's killing these trees.

[d_r]

16. YES!

He called in to a radio show and bragged about doing it.

"Auburn police arrested Harvey Almorn Updyke, 62, from Dadeville. He will be charged with criminal mischief for applying a herbicide at Toomer's Corner."



This is stuff he supposedly posted on "TiderInsider" message board, as user "Floribama"

Im about 30 miles from auburn {M} FLORIBAMA 2010-12-03 09:46:38
What would happen if I was caught trying to cut down that damn tree?

I will get them back and it will hurt them a Great deal {m} FLORIBAMA 2010-12-14 14:16:25
more then putting a jersey on Bryants statue. This will kill the auburm fambliy. it will make the papers I HAVE A PLAN!

I did something that will really upset the auburn nation thats all I can say now FLORIBAMA 2011-01-18 16:56:06
Are you this boog hatin' FL blogger? Crimson Wraith 2011-01-18 17:03:21

No but what I did will make headline news FLORIBAMA 2011-01-18 17:07:30
When/where will I see this? SmackMyBishop 2011-01-18 17:42:31
Careful, there are boogs among us. Crimson Wraith 2011-01-18 17:10:42
yep... itsjustbidnesssonny 2011-01-18 17:23:25
both trees FLORIBAMA 2011-01-18 17:11:30

ARE THE TOOMER TREES GETTING SICK YET? FLORIBAMA 2011-01-22 13:59:30

You had better hurry because it will be dead by then! FLORIBAMA 2011-01-22 23:00:25

let them have fun I killed their toomer tree...... SPIKE80DF FLORIBAMA 2011-01-26 16:06:25

However that name belongs to [e-mail] who is this guy

[Elwood P Dowd]

10. Alabama fans are celebrating. They finally killed the Toomer's Corner Oaks.

:cry: :cry:

[Elwood P Dowd]

11. Here is a nice post from one of Alabama's better fans concerned about the trees.

Rivals

DadevilleAl
Post #2

Trees?

They dead yet?


Roll Tide.



Posted on 2/16 11:38 PM | IP: Logged



Bama fans are having a ball with this. They love them some dead trees. No wonder so many Auburn grads move out of state when they graduate.

[lonestarnot]

12. Mentality of sports fans. Raise some more taxes so we can pay for their shit.

[Peter_x]

13. Gladiatorial combat.

Watered down into the game and rules of football. Rabid fans pour their time and money into the financial and emotional black hole of big-time athletics. Someone has to win, and its usually the treasury of big-time football colleges and their local municipalities

Tragically, this is the world we are in, another sign of the times.

[Kadie]

15. Welcome to DU Peter_x!

:hi:

[WolverineDG]

17. Some creep did this to the Treaty Oak in Austin

It took a lot of effort to save it & even then it had to be severely pruned back. Hopefully, what they learned then can be used to save these trees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Oak_(Austin,_Texas)#Poisoning_and_recovery

dg