The Angel Oak (Extra Credit Post)

On Sunday of Fall Break, I made my way to John's Island's Angel Oak in an impromptu visit on my way back from the beach at Kiawah Island.  I'd been by the land mark tree once or twice before in my life, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to see it again as I passed by the road sign.  I got a few nice, but by no means professional pictures of it:

It truly is a sight to see.  The tree itself is simply massive, with its canopy covering an area somewhere around 50 feet in radius.  Despite the constant influx of visitors, the area around it has a serene feel to it due to the flat, cleared ground beneath the tree and the wooded surroundings.

This historic piece of natural beauty is now in danger, however.  My visit prompted me to do some research into the tree's history, and while doing so, I found that there is currently a controversy over development surrounding the area.  A development business plans to purchase the land immediately behind the Angel Oak, and develop it into a larger apartment complex and capitalize on the high demand for real estate in the Charleston area's barrier islands.  This doesn't sound particularly threatening, but the Angel Oak isn't just like any tree.  It has a massively wide, but relatively shallow root system that covers an area much larger than that of it's canopy.  The planned apartment complex would inevitably cause some damage to this root system.  Apartments require foundations, which penetrate deep into the earth, damaging any roots they come into contact with.  Additionally, the increased local population with bring with it a higher level of pollution, which could create chemicals that damage the soil of the Angel Oak.  The tree's size does not make it invincible.  In fact, it is particularly fragile due to its old age.  A disruption in its root system may not cause the tree to immediately die, but it would certainly decrease its life span.
This development is not quite inevitable, however.  Environmental protection groups are raising money to buy the land, however, only about half of the over one million dollar cost has been funded.  Large groups, including Charleston County, have helped to fund this, but there is still a long way to go to save the Angel Oak.
In all likelihood, funding efforts will eventually come through, and this natural beauty will be saved.  Until then, I will make sure to enjoy its sight on many of the visits I make to Charleston.