Saturday Short Subjects: Remembering Trees Lost in the Storms

Sandy and her “sucker punch” sister storm Athena took a big toll on the trees of the northeast. The New York Botanical Garden’s old growth forest was hit very hard. 

New Haven's Lincoln Oak

Sandy’s mighty winds felled many of the region’s tallest trees — in woods, city parks, along streets, and in backyards. Suddenly we realized just how tall they were! Sandy weakened others which then toppled under the weight of Athena’s heavy, wet snow. Some of the lost trees, such as the Lincoln Oak on the New Haven Green, had national significance. Others had been planted by families to mark life events such as a wedding or the birth of a child. We will miss them all. Although we can’t replace them, we can take a moment to grieve and then pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and plant new trees where the old ones once stood.

Should you find yourself in the replanting mode, please consider your selection of a new tree carefully. Winter is coming and it’s too late to plant a new tree now. Take some time to read Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, by Douglas W. Tallamy. The book concludes with suggested native plants (including trees) for a variety of growing conditions in each region of the country. Over the cold winter days, Google these plants and try to imagine which ones might work out best on your property. If you choose correctly, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful new tree while helping to slow the rate of extinction of native wildlife.

It is so important to consider your choice carefully. For starters, check out my Saturday Short of the Day, brought to you by the National Association of Realtors. It is a short slideshow about 11 trees you do NOT want to plant in your yard. For more on native plants, check out this website. 

Have a great weekend. 

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).