The Great Oak, also called the Saunders Oak, is a very special tree. Identified in the book Penn's Woods written by The Green Valley Association, as one of the William Penn Oaks.

This is a white oak sitting back off of Saint Peter's Road in North Coventry Township, Chester County which has a span of over 135 feet.

I've watched this tree since elementary school when my bus passed by it every day, wondering at the things that have happened in its 400 year existence.

Some years back I began to notice the dead wood and vines on the tree and felt it needed attention. First thinking I'll talk with the owners, but then thought how do you approach someone you don't know and say you need to spend perhaps thousands of dollars to care for a tree on your property.

So…First estimates, then fundraisers.

A neighbor, while at a maple syrup boiling at my house, saw a tree design on a t-shirt. The design on the shirt was from a land preservation project. She then asked how to get one as her son works on trees. Perfect…I showed Rod Irwin of Arbor Care in Mohnton a picture of the tree and he said whatever the tree needs, he'll do it at a reduced cost.

I go then to meet with the owners who say, I know you, you're the recycle guy, but I also know you from the pre-school both our sons went to. The school was right down the road from the Great Oak, called the Little Acorn pre-school. The owners of the property, the O'Connor's were thrilled at being able to get the work on the tree started.

We mowed, cut off vines and also marked the small "Children of the Great Oak" that we have been selling to help pay for the tree work.

Then everything went into slow motion. Rod became too busy with his tree company to find time for the Great Oak. Now finally some three years after the plan began, we're moving ahead.

The first steps are removal of dead wood and general clean up. Second will be soil and tissue testing and introduction of beneficial growth. The third step will involve exploration and compartmentalization of decay from a lightening strike that happened approximately fifty years ago.

We have a local surgeon who has agreed to let us use a fiber optic probe, similar to the non-invasive approach used to explore human injuries, to look at the damage to the tree.

The removal of dead wood is important, as the tree, much like a human characteristic, wants to heal the wound. If it can't heal the wound, it will try to grow around it, leaving a hole with internal decay. Knowing where to make the proper cut is also important, so proper healing can occur.

Another important clue about the Great Oak and the property owner came from and Irish woman.

She had heard of our "Common Thread" project and wanted to sell American denim products in her shop in Ireland. We talked about many things, but somehow the conversation turned to the Great Oak.

She asked, “Do you know the owners name?” Yes, I say, the O'Connor's. She laughs, saying, “Do you know what that name means?” I say, well…protector? She laughs again and says, “No, it means ‘Keeper of the Great Oak.’”

3/17/2006