Community Corner

If This Tree Could Talk

Rancho Encinitas Academy is home to a tree believed to be more than 275 years old.

Rancho Encinitas Academy is home to a piece of living history — a more than 40-foot tall piece of living history, to be exact.

A towering oak tree on the school’s sprawling campus is believed to be more than 275 years old, making it possibly one of the oldest living oak trees in the city. 

Encinitas, which means ‘little oaks’ in Spanish, is dotted with this type of tree — though this particular oak may have been one of the original trees that inspired the city’s name. According to a news release from the school, this tree is thought to have once stood on the Rancho Las Encinitas, which was owned by Don Andres Ybarra in 1842.

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That land eventually became Stallings Ranch Nursery, and today as the site of Rancho Encinitas Academy, the oak tree standing there serves as a teaching tool. The school aims to engage students with hands-on learning, and nature-oriented curriculum, like recycling and tending to animals in bird aviaries and bunny hutches.

“Our goal is to nurture a student’s natural wonder and joy of learning, facilitated by a positive and relaxed atmosphere,” said Paul Wulle, Director of Rancho Encinitas Academy. "With it’s rich history and lush grounds, we were able to design a campus that reduces stress and anxiety so that a child’s focus may be on learning.”

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For more information you can visit ranchoencinitasacademy.com. 

Do you have an old photo showing some aspect of Encinitas history? Email it editor Marlena Medford at marlena.medford@patch.com and she’ll share it with the community.  

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