Living with trees, it seems, brings not only beauty and joy but a certain amount of risk as well. Our neighborhood in Atlanta, developed around 1909, was thoughtfully planned. The developers preserved and planted as many trees as possible, making it a beautiful oasis in the city. All of which has been fabulous, up until the last decade when these 100 plus year old trees began to fall, smashing houses and cars and terrifying residents.
The age of the trees is just one factor in their current decline. Obviously, the erratic weather of the recent past has also played a part in weakening root systems and the overall health of the trees.
In the last 8 years, Jack and I have lost three major trees on our 1/2 acre property. So it is with a bit of trepidation that we look at the very large oak tree growing exactly 19 inches from the back door of our house. It is leaning and hardly robust, so we called in the most knowledgeable arborist I know, Chris Hastings, owner of Arbormedics in Atlanta.
After his inspection, Chris and I talked. “Just because the tree is leaning away from the house,” Chris said, “is no guarantee of how it will fall. A tree falls in the direction of the winds and will give way at the weakest point.”
He went on to say there is probable decay close to where a huge limb had been removed decades ago and where, we knew, there was a large cavity. He offered to do sonic testing to determine the amount of decay in that spot, but added that even experts can’t agree on what those numbers mean to a homeowner. It all depends on the risk factor that one is willing to live with.
In the end, Chris said that his greatest concern was that we had already lost so many trees and that this old guy, with lopped off limbs and a severely reduced canopy, was pretty much standing alone, making it more vulnerable to the forces of nature.
Jack and I have talked and talked about this tree. We both love trees but we have seen what incredible damage a tree can do when it falls. We keep asking ourselves, how much risk are we willing to take to preserve this venerable old oak?
I keep thinking, too, about what Chris said about how vulnerable it is, standing alone. And I think what a good lesson that is about community, especially in these challenging times. I’m not sure yet what we’re going to do about the tree but I do know that Jack and I are dedicated to keeping our community strong. We understand that standing with our neighbors, our friends and especially our family, will keep us all safer, no matter which way the wind blows.
This was a lovely post. I love the trees and all they can teach us.