Auburn's Trees Task Force, the team in charge of taking care of and monitoring the health of Toomer's oaks, announced July 21 that fans will be allowed to continue roll the trees after team victories.
The decision came after the Task Force reviewed options and got input from the team of horticultural, agronomy and soils and forestry experts, who are working to save the trees. The University and City of Auburn made the final decision together and will allow the tradition to continue, if only temporarily.
In the past, workers used high-pressure hoses to clean toilet paper out of the trees, but, in order to avoid unnecessary damage, workers will clean the trees by hand.
Although other options for fan celebrations were considered, the University decided safety concerns, the health of other landscaping and crowd control problems would be too great.
In the official statement from the University, fans were urged to avoid moving the celebrations to other locations on campus.
"We ask our fans not to move the celebration into Samford Park, the beauty of which we are also trying to preserve, and where, with no concrete base to protect it, landscaping and vegetation is fragile."
In the same statement, Trees Task Force team leader Gary Keever said there were no health updates for the trees.
"It is likely that it will be at least spring 2012--at the earliest--before we know if the trees will survive," Keever said.
Wednesday, those who entered the lottery earlier this year for a chance to buy a baby Toomer's oak seedling, were notified by email that they were one of more than 5,000 people who registered to buy one of only 600 Toomer's oak seedlings.
The drawings will begin in mid-September, and individuals will be given 10 days to pay for the seedling. Only then will the seedling be shipped to the individuals. The drawings should conclude by the end of October.
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