Professor's Arbor Day speech will celebrate Virginia "Crying Trees"
Professor Jeff Kirwan will be the keynote speaker at Marion, Virginia's Arbor Day celebration, on Monday, April 30. In his remarks, Kirwan, a forestry professor and Extension specialist for 4-H and youth forestry in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, will discuss his soon-to-be-released book, Remarkable Trees of Virginia, pay tribute to Marion's "Crying Tree," and recall seeing published images of a girl hugging an oak tree the day after the April 16 tragedy on the campus.
Also speaking at the event will be Evelyn Lawrence, who nominated the Crying Tree in Marion for inclusion in Kirwan's book and who is the granddaughter of the slave girl who cried at the tree.
Marion's Arbor Day Celebration will be at noon behind the Marion Volunteer Fire Department Building, 235 W. Main St. The event will focus on three white oaks that were dedicated with plaques during the town's Sesquicentennial Celebration on July 4, 2000. These three trees, one of which is the well-known Crying Tree, are referred to as the Royal Oaks of Marion because the town was previously named Royal Oak.
Two of the Royal Oaks receive substantial attention due to their unique histories. One of the white oaks sits near the unmarked grave of a young Indian girl. Children at the nearby Marion Primary School traditionally trek out to the tree and gravesite, and then write an imaginary story about the little girl's life.
According to Lawrence's family history records, the second popular Royal Oak tree, known as "Sallie's Crying Tree," served as the lone friend and mentor of the slave girl, Sallie, who cried at the tree when her entire family was sold to a slave owner in Lynchburg, leaving her stranded in Marion. In her adult years, Sallie founded Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church, and the tree was named to honor her and her accomplishments.
For more information on the book, visit the Remarkable Trees of Virginia Project website.
The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.
