Historic oak tree at Eastern Illinois University under the weather

CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) - A burr oak tree on Eastern Illinois University’s campus that’s older than the school itself is ailing and officials aren’t sure what’s wrong. 

Some leaves and branches on the roughly 200-year-old oak on the east side of the school’s Old Main building have turned brown this summer. 

Dave Crockett is the Charleston school’s assistant director of facilities. He tells the Mattoon Journal-Gazette (http://bit.ly/nWOg7J ) that the tree could just be suffering the effects of age. Or perhaps a fungus is the culprit. Or damage from a lightning strike a few years ago. 

EIU officials will wait to see how healthy the tree is as it sprouts leaves next year before deciding what to do. In the meantime, Crockett says some limbs that could fall will be trimmed back as a precaution.