What it reminds me of is beer-fueled enthusiasm for a stupid idea evaporating in the glare of sweaty reality.
Chopping down a tree?
- Thread starter PancoastDrifter
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What it reminds me of is beer-fueled enthusiasm for a stupid idea evaporating in the glare of sweaty reality.
Actually, I think it's pretty cool that the kids(?) are thinking about the past. It beats playing video games. If they went into the woods and cut down an oak I don't think anyone would complain. Instead they mutilated a prominent specimen along a busy trail, a trophy to incompetence and discourtesy. They would benefit from a talk on reverence of place. We must get younger folks to romp in the woods so they too become stakeholders in its preservation.
Manumuskin, people tend to exaggerate tree ages. Yes, I know Pine Barrens trees can grow slowly, and the Wawa Oak's habitat was once typical Pine-Oak forest. However, the crown is exquisitely preserved. Its form suggests a privileged past, a creature of open ground. It is not an old woods denizen. Old trees generally bear battle scars from storms, fires, and man. My best guess for the Wawa Oak is ~175-years, which is about the same age as the oak in Richland's Saw Mill Park.
A great sand hickory (Carya pallida) on my property called the "Resting Tree" has few battle scars. It looks young, but is actually a very old specimen. Aging trees is tricky stuff without coring.
I've seen an old photograph of it, and the size has changed little over the last century. The Resting Tree is over 200-years old, with the habit of a willow oak (Quercus phellos). The Welsh woodcutters who settled Richland had a Gaelic name for the tree, which is now lost. Unlike the typical Pinelands pignut hickory (Carya cordiformis), sand hickory nut-meat is sweet and oily - though small in size. This is sand hickory's northern limit. The big tree National champ at 11' 11" circumference at 4' 6" is located at 1490 North West Avenue, Vineland.
My favorite example of a trail marker tree is in Buena, across from the municipal hall:
An ancient oak marks the intersection of Harding Highway (US Rte. 40) and the Old Cohansey Road. Harding Highway follows the track of a straight road laid out in 1817. Ruts cut into Rte. 40's road bank can still be seen heading northeast of the marker tree to the adjoining Colwell's coal grounds and Horse Break Pond. This tree is well worn, and could be over 200-years old. This was my cousin's farm, and the tree almost ended up being cut for firewood - by me! I can't seem to find the photos at the moment, but will soon post ones when found.
S-M
Manumuskin, people tend to exaggerate tree ages. Yes, I know Pine Barrens trees can grow slowly, and the Wawa Oak's habitat was once typical Pine-Oak forest. However, the crown is exquisitely preserved. Its form suggests a privileged past, a creature of open ground. It is not an old woods denizen. Old trees generally bear battle scars from storms, fires, and man. My best guess for the Wawa Oak is ~175-years, which is about the same age as the oak in Richland's Saw Mill Park.
The Wawa Oak, near Route 49 & Wade Boulevard, Millville.
A great sand hickory (Carya pallida) on my property called the "Resting Tree" has few battle scars. It looks young, but is actually a very old specimen. Aging trees is tricky stuff without coring.
I've seen an old photograph of it, and the size has changed little over the last century. The Resting Tree is over 200-years old, with the habit of a willow oak (Quercus phellos). The Welsh woodcutters who settled Richland had a Gaelic name for the tree, which is now lost. Unlike the typical Pinelands pignut hickory (Carya cordiformis), sand hickory nut-meat is sweet and oily - though small in size. This is sand hickory's northern limit. The big tree National champ at 11' 11" circumference at 4' 6" is located at 1490 North West Avenue, Vineland.
My favorite example of a trail marker tree is in Buena, across from the municipal hall:
An ancient oak marks the intersection of Harding Highway (US Rte. 40) and the Old Cohansey Road. Harding Highway follows the track of a straight road laid out in 1817. Ruts cut into Rte. 40's road bank can still be seen heading northeast of the marker tree to the adjoining Colwell's coal grounds and Horse Break Pond. This tree is well worn, and could be over 200-years old. This was my cousin's farm, and the tree almost ended up being cut for firewood - by me! I can't seem to find the photos at the moment, but will soon post ones when found.
S-M
If you like big trees check out my post in Great swamp thread of the great swamp oak in lord sterling county park morris county,nj.That is one big tree.
When I was a kid we chopped down a few trees to build a fort/hideout in the woods. Pretty typical stuff in my neighborhood.
However, these were scrub pines well off the beaten path, not large landmark trees along a trail. Still shouldn't have done it, of course -- just like every other woods fort the novelty ended pretty quick, effectively making us vandals instead of people creating something -- but that at least seemed to have a point. I'm not understanding why someone would have a go at the pictured tree.
However, these were scrub pines well off the beaten path, not large landmark trees along a trail. Still shouldn't have done it, of course -- just like every other woods fort the novelty ended pretty quick, effectively making us vandals instead of people creating something -- but that at least seemed to have a point. I'm not understanding why someone would have a go at the pictured tree.
if that makes you a vandal then I was king of the vandals.I was making forts till not so long ago and have plans for another one 
Just visited the tree. They are almost half way through it. A few more nights and they will have it down. :-(
I don't think there is much rationale to this. There are plenty of large logs to drag in the way not twenty feet away. I also met up with some dog friends and they told me about two other trees that HAD been chopped down in the past few weeks. These were 8 inch scrubby pines. These do not block any path but were growing at a dead end. I went yesterday and sprayed pruning sealer over the entire wound of the oak. My thought was that if they see somebody cares, they might stop.
I am sad to report that the old Parker Oak in Estell Manor was cut down this Spring. It was improperly pruned (topped) a decade ago, which led to its demise. Never top (stub cut) trees, especially mature ones because it causes irreparable harm. It was probably like the Wawa Oak a trail marker tree (see December 16, 2011, post above).
(below) Excerpted from Noteworthy Trees of New Jersey:
Living Monuments of Garden State History, 1937: 59–60
S-M
NJ Licensed Tree Expert #285.
