Editor, The Beacon:

DeLand has been known for its live oaks, and of course the laurel oaks to a lesser degree. As a student of forestry and wildlife management at the University of Florida, I delighted in studying dendrology (identifying trees). Pop Frazier, our leader, was top-notch regarding the subject.

I did not work as a forester but did work on a DeLand tree project in the early ’90s when federal money was provided to cities to complete a tree survey. I got the job for DeLand as well as for Rome, Georgia.

So, I got to know the DeLand oaks up close and personal. I counted and measured each one on city rights of way. Some are still there; others are gone for various reasons. I also worked as an artist during those years and made an engraving of one special live oak that lives on Grand Avenue in Volusia County.

I appreciate them all and know their value to wildlife and what they add to any city environment. Let us hope DeLand remains a kind of “tree city.”

Paul Bishop