Century Oaks is a living legacy of Webster Groves Rotary’s 2024 Centennial. To mark the anniversary, the club collected acorns from ten species of mature local oaks and had them raised into nearly 500 Legacy Oak saplings. The project is meant to renew the community’s oak canopy long after the centennial year.
Planting for the next century
In the first public distribution in October 2024, the club distributed 171 saplings. The remaining young trees were carefully held for later planting, allowing the project to respond to additional community needs instead of treating the centennial as a single-day celebration.
The Rotary Oaks Grove in Blackburn Park gives the idea a permanent local home. In March 2025, the club placed a bench and commemorative plaque celebrating the 2024 Centennial and labeled the first saplings. Each tree is modest on its own; together, they represent patient service, care for shared spaces, and a promise to leave Webster Groves stronger for the people who come next.