Thanks to the college's effort to replenish the grove they won't have to stop any time soon.
"When we get out there it's fresh air, it's exercise, and it's just peaceful and calming," said Shirley Barr. "We haven't gone as much in recent years as we'd like, but we used to pick all the time."
The Pecan Grove project began nearly five years ago when the Friends of the RBC Library began collecting donations to purchase trees to replace the numerous pecan trees that had been killed by cold weather, disease and storms, most specifically Hurricane Isabel.
"We lost 39 trees just in Isabel," said Dr. James B. McNeer, RBC president.
The effort to restore the century-old grove has been an overwhelming success. The Friends of the RBC Library had nearly 150 trees donated in support of the project.
"We sold trees at cost to people who wanted to donate a tree and dedicate it to someone," said LeAnn Binger, professor of psychology at RBC and a member of Friends of the RBC Library. "You would get a certificate for the person or the person's family. Though we've also had a number of anonymous donors."
Landscape supervisor Bill Wamsley and his grounds crew chose to plant 2- to 3-foot Northern James pecan trees, known for their ability to thrive in colder temperatures. The fledgling trees were planted in the grove over the last two weeks.
Progress-Index staff photo of RBC Landscape Supervisor Bill Wamsley
"Just a 2- or 3-foot tree was difficult to plant because we had to dig two or three feet into the ground just to bury the roots," said Wamsley.
According to Wamsley, if the trees survive and begin to flourish, they should start bearing pecans in September.
"We've had in mind for a long time to replenish the grove," said McNeer. "These trees are over 100 years old, planted in the 1900s, and for future generations we thought it would be a good idea to maintain them because it is such a unique feature of the campus."
Members of the community are encouraged to visit the grove and are welcome to go pecan picking.
Progress-Index staff photo
"New roots for deep-rooted tradition"
For more than a century, the Pecan Grove at Richard Bland College has been calling. Calling squirrels to gather food for the winter. Calling birds to nest and lay eggs. Calling people to come and harvest its meaty nuts.
How many families have enjoyed a day of beauty and sunshine as they gathered bags and buckets of pecans? How many students have tossed a Frisbee beneath the shade of those magnificent hickories? How many young men have dropped to a knee and asked for his girlfriend's hand in marriage? How many older couples have walked arm in arm, drifting back in time to recall their days on campus and the families they made together?
It's a Tri-Cities tradition, the Pecan Grove. Home to an annual flea market - some call it the area's best. Former home to a biathlon and later a 5K run. Home to the annual Petersburg Kiwanis Club Shrimp Fest.
But it's a home in need of repair. The Grove has seen better days. Cold weather, disease and storms have taken their toll on the Grove. Hurricane Isabel alone destroyed 39 trees.
But the Grove will remain a local treasure, thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the RBC Library. Friends have donated 150 cold-weather hearty Northern James pecan saplings to replenish the Grove. The group sold the trees at cost and offered purchasers the option of dedicating them to their loved ones.
The tree dedications add new meaning to a (pardon the pun) deep-rooted tradition. The Pecan Grove at RBC is a tradition worth carrying on, not only for the sheer beauty it brings to the campus but for the memories made by its many visitors.
Photos, taken September 19, 2003, of damage caused to the Pecan Grove by Hurricane Isabel.
Trees down near the President's House.
Maze Hall
Photographs provided by Dr. LeAnn Binger, Professor of Psychology, and President of The Friends of Richard Bland College Library.
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