“Because there was the tree. And it was a tree like they had never seen in their lives.”
– from “The Halloween Tree” by Ray Bradbury
Leah Yakabovits’ son, Koby, was 9 when he jumped from one tentacle-covered branch to another on the old, low-growing Virginia oak in McCauley Park that he and other kids refer to as Spiderweb or OG. Apparently “trying to do Superman” when he caught the next branch with his face instead of his hand and fell to the ground on his back. The move gave him a concussion.
His memory was one of many good, and not so good, memories shared Sunday night during a candlelight vigil for the sprawling, upside-down octopus tree in Circle Park at the corner of Battey and East 50th streets in the Chatham Crescent neighborhood.
According to local residents, the trunk of the tree was split in half on Saturday afternoon around 5 p.m.
Anna Ramberg’s daughter was visiting when she heard what sounded like “a whole wading pool of water being dumped onto the property.” When they both went outside, they realized the sound was probably thousands upon thousands of oak leaves falling to the ground as the tree broke under the weight of its own branches.
Previous oak tree: Popular oak tree in McCauley Park is losing branches and showing signs of rot. What can be done to save it?
More: “Everything has its time”: Neighbours and students say goodbye to the oak tree “Twister” in McCauley Park
A school community mourns another tree
McCauley Park has served as the unofficial playground for the Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, 220 E 49th St., for as long as anyone can remember, even though it had no playground equipment. Ellis mother Maggie Fuller said her children weren’t big climbers, but they often played in the shade of the Virginia live oaks, as many children did on Sunday nights, either playing soccer or tag.
“It really fits well with the whole Montessori philosophy,” Fuller said of the park and its obstacle course made of oak trees that are at least 100, if not 200, years old. Less than two years ago, students and residents gathered to mourn the demise of Twister, which had lost a large branch to rot.
What exactly caused Spider Web, or OG, to break in two wasn’t immediately clear, nor was his fate. However, many visitors thought it would suffer the same fate as Twister (or “Betty White,” as some called the tree). It was eventually replaced with a sapling (which itself had to be replaced recently after being damaged during a storm, according to local residents). Five other older oak trees still stand, but their branches aren’t low enough for children to climb.
Amber Ylisto, a member of the Charles Ellis Parent Teacher Association (PTA), posted on their Facebook page Sunday morning encouraging the impromptu vigil in honor of the tree, which serves as a rite of passage for many students. Twister was the tree for the younger children to climb, while Spider Web was for the older children. In her statement, Ylisto said the tree has “accompanied us through the passage of time like an old friend.”
The tree not only serves as a climbing frame that gives us valuable insights into the fragility of the human body, but is also a companion and refuge, as well as a beautiful backdrop for meditation, creativity and inspiration.
Charlie Hickey strummed an acoustic guitar on Sunday to give back some of the music she has created with the help of the tree during the 10 years she has lived in the neighborhood.
Local photographer Katie McGee was on hand to pay her respects, as she has used the park for 20 to 25 photoshoots, including at least two weddings. “Because of the many trees, this is the perfect place to shoot at any time of day, morning or any other time,” she said.
As the sunlight faded and the candles glowed, the cool evening was made even cooler by a breeze that rustled the oak’s leaves loud enough to be heard over Hickey’s tinkling and the happy noise of children hanging out with an old friend long after bedtime on a school day.
Joseph Schwartzburt is an education and jobs reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Reach him at [email protected].
