By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Four Fayette Middle School students and their teacher will make history March 20 when they ceremonially plant several trees native to Georgia at the Chateau de Versailles in France.

Based on their well-composed papers outlining their reasons for making the trip, Sara Keene, Amy Bloomfield, Mandi Woodruff and Mary Moore, accompanied by their teacher Carol Pruett, will take off for the ultimate field trip March 18 and return March 22.

The girls will take part in the planting of two tulip poplars, a cypress and an oak, in an effort to replace some of the many trees destroyed in December by an unprecedented ice storm that ripped through Paris and the surrounding countryside. In addition to the four tulip poplar trees donated by Fayetteville's Andy's Nursery, The Scotts Co. purchased six large and 100 small historic trees from American Forests, a nonprofit conservation group, dedicated caring for trees and forest. American Forests was founded in 1875 and grows direct offspring historic trees at their Jacksonville, FL facility. The Georgia Forestry Association is donating 5000 seedlings to be planted at Versailles, public parks and forests in France.

According to Woodruff, ”Many of the trees that were brutally damaged or destroyed in this ice storm were planted by Gen. Marquis de LaFayette, whose name has been bestowed upon many of our home town's schools and centers. LaFayette visited the United States for a year on invitation of Congress, who voted him a gift of $200,000 and a large tract of land. He then returned to Paris, where he planted the famous trees indigenous to our land at the Chateau de Versailles.”

Arrangements for the trip were made by Dean Breest, a Fayetteville parent and an Air France employee. All expenses will be paid for the girls and their teacher by Air France. Breest and his family will meet the Fayetteville contingent in Paris.

To say the Paris-bound students are excited is an understatement. “I hope we get to do some shopping,” said one of the young travelers. “I just want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower,” added another, as all the girls talked in unison about their expectations for the trip.

Pruett said the girls will be required to keep a journal of their travels and she intends to have them see as much as possible in Paris and, of course, Versailles.

Their reasons for wanting to visit Versailles share a similar theme. “There are many reasons why I would like to make history, not just to see Versailles Palace, but to get to do something that will have an impact on my home county and in Paris, France... There would always be a shared history for me between my home in Fayetteville, named for a famous Frenchman, and his home country,” wrote Sara Keene.

“At age 17, General LaFayette was already at Versailles. I aspire to be there at age 12,” wrote Mary Moore. “I am saddened by the loss of the trees because they were a legacy for so many countries around the world. By replacing these lost trees, we hope to reveal our patriotism and good will to our allies in France. To plant these trees would be like planting a little bit of Georgia in Paris,” she explained.

For Woodruff, the trip would also be inspiring. “Being an amateur poet, a trip to Paris, France would also give me inspiration and expand my horizons in unimaginable ways. Visiting Paris has been my lifelong dream since I first began writing, and I have dedicated many arduous hours of labor to excel in school so that I may one day have the chance to travel to France and other lands abroad. Winning this contest is my chance to fulfill one of my greatest dreams...”