Jim Barton was that one-of-a-kind teacher and friend, father and husband who always made things possible, made you see things you had never seen, and encouraged you to dream things beyond what you ever imagined.

We were all heartbroken to learn of Mr. Barton's sudden death last week as he was traveling in Ireland.

We all want to give back and do something BIG to remember him. He always had a BIG project and included all of us in those ideas.

He worked so hard with his students to develop a plan for an educational and fun treehouse space. The Jim Barton Writing Retreat and Education Center will fulfill that dream and we all will be able to use it and think about him and write spectacular stories and spin some tall tales. He worked with his students on every aspect of this project as it morphed with the needs and requirements of the environment.

Jim's amazing wife, Diane, and the children he adored, Jack and Josie, would love to have his dream come to life in his memory. They relayed "we really want the most educational and fun treehouse/classroom on the planet built to honor Jim."

All of this hard work can be seen here: http://www.hiestreehouseproject.com/
This project was even featured on our local news station: 
http://www.11alive.com/mb/life/atlanta-students-to-treehouse-masters-do-you-want-to-build-a-treehouse/119726100

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that we all donate so we can bring this vision to our community which will promote environmental conservation and education that are so important to the Barton family.

Thank you so much for giving generously in his honor. He gave everything to his students, colleagues, family and friends. This will be a wonderful way for us to come together and honor all of his dedication and energy.