By Evelyn Lopez

Flagler College launched an e-mail to trainees and personnel on March 1, mentioning that throughout spring break 2024, about 20 palm trees were to be gotten rid of from the Palm Garden to make area for the Ponce West dormitory restoration work website.

The declaration consisted of that an arborist verified that much of the trees were reaching completion of their life process, some with pre-existing demonstration allows before the job was in action. The Palm Garden will be closed up until the building and construction is total, and the trees are expected to be changed after this.

At the end of the day, I comprehend that the objective of the restoration is to develop a much better living environment for future trainees. Nevertheless, I believe that Flagler College is stopping working to see how this majorly impacts their present trainees. Future advantages do not exceed the hassles we are experiencing or the upset sensations that occur with the restoration.

I enjoyed a guy in a “Tree Medic” t-shirt lowered 2 lots palm trees on March 12.

I had a great deal of concerns concerning the Palm Garden and Restoration, so I spoke to the Vice President, Chief of Personnel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Laura Stevenson Dumas.

” The factor the scaffolding and preparation work is happening now is so the Ponce West job can start the minute trainees leave in May. If we waited up until May to start the website preparation, then we would not have the ability to start the restoration work up until mid to late summertime which would then threaten our capability to complete the job before the August 2025 relocation in. That is a due date that can not be missed out on,” Stevenson stated.

It seems like Flagler is selecting to focus on future trainees over those who currently participate in the school. The general restoration impacts our life on school, not simply those registering in 2025.

There is the loud equipment, the building and construction employees chewing out trainees on their method to class and the inescapable shift in path that many individuals needed to make when the fences were installed for the website.

The tree elimination has actually triggered responses amongst lots of trainees that reside on school specifically those who reside in Ponce.

Lydia Blood, a freshman here at Flagler College, comprehends why the trees were gotten rid of, however she revealed that this understanding does not make the extreme truth any less extreme.

” I comprehend that this building and construction was inescapable, however it does not remove from the truth that it makes me unfortunate to take a look at,” Blood stated. ” Nobody likes to see trees getting lowered or ripped from the ground.”

Even if the trees were “reaching completion of their life,” I do not keep in mind the last time we eliminated an 80-year-old human for this factor. Life is life, plants and animals consisted of.

I feel as though Flagler is not taking the viewpoints of the trainee body into account when making huge choices concerning Ponce. I do not think that they are focusing on life, trainee, or plant, by damaging the little community which has actually existed in the Palm Garden for over 100 years.

In the 1920s, what was then referred to as Coconut Cove was the area where hotel stayers satisfied up and had tea. The solace of the cove has actually resided on, even as we now call it the Palm Garden.

On October 19, 2023, a public hearing was held and the city’s Historical Architectural Evaluation Board (HARB) given approval for the elimination of a part of the website wall, trees, and pavement in combination with continuous restoration.

” Most of the trees that were gotten rid of were at completion of their life process and were not salvageable. Those that were, were contributed to University of Florida Historic St. Augustine (UFHSA),” Stevenson stated.

After getting this info, I talked with a contact at UFHSA, who wants to stay confidential. He informed me that no tree contributions were offered by Flagler College, or by the city of St. Augustine.

I confirmed numerous times with Stevenson to make certain I didn’t have the incorrect contact info, and just when I connected to her for the 3rd time did she declare that she offered me the incorrect info.

Practically 2 weeks later on she withdrawed her previous declarations, proclaiming that the trees were all too harmed to contribute.

That’s all I got. I was entrusted to the image of a couple lots unfortunate palm trees lying, dead, alone, someplace unknown.

The Palm Garden is a neighborhood area in which trainees can get in touch with each other, the environment and themselves. Research studies reveal that a trainee’s sense of neighborhood is straight associated to their scholastic success. The Palm Garden is a put on school which promotes this success and the general wellness in trainees.

The remodellings will restrict this up until move-in day August 2025.

I comprehend that the restoration was bound to take place, however that does not alter how it is impacting trainees, specifically those who reside in Ponce.

In my brief time here at Flagler, I fell for the Palm Garden. Its adaptability permitted me to finish my research while my peers relaxed on hammocks or consumed lunch next to me. I believe having areas like this is essential on school, and they ought to be maintained. Flagler College selected not to do this.