The Spirit Trees

The Spirit Trees

By Keith Jennings
Many of the “tree spirits” that inhabit St. Simons Island are gone now, some enveloped by the trees they once occupied.

The “tree spirits,” as they are called by residents, came to life about 20 years ago when Keith Jennings, a local artist, began carving mystical faces in trees on St. Simons Island.

Initially, about 20 spirits came to inhabit the island, but only a few remain visible on public property. The others have faded into the bark of the trees they once adorned, been felled with the trees they occupied, or are on private property.