Hi Frank, I thought you may like this
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/northeastwales/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8224000/8224895.stm It is being aired on BBC 1 Countryfile 13th Sept. 2009 Regards, rob PS Off to Poland this week tree hunting. From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: Gettysburg 'witness tree' falls Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:55:14 -0400 ENTS, There are many trees that bore witness to the Battle at Gettysburg, but only a few stood on the battlefield itself. I know Dale has a pending trip report on te site. In the book "Old Growth in the East - a Survey" by Mary Byrd Davis there are some old-growth patches reported in Gettysburg national Military Park, including sections of Big Round Top. These include some of the stunted oaks growing among the boulders. There are several specific patches identified: Big Round Top, 70 acres, White Oak, Northern Red Oak, White Ash, and Tulip Tree surround Big Round Top. Grazing and cutting of fuel wood probably took place, but boulders in the woods forestalled logging for agriculture. Culps Hill, 10 acres, The stand is dominated by White and Northern Red Oak. Boulders surround the hill. Philzer Woods, 10 acres, Selectively cut old growth are located in the woods. White Oak dominates. Gettysburg National Military Park, 10 acres, Scattered through the Park. The park has been undergoing an effort to try to restore the landscape to what it was like during the battle. Missing forested areas are being replanted, overgrown fields are being cut back, old roads are being restored. There are photos of many of these areas dating from the 1860's taken because of the battle, so we could see some of these trees as they were 145 years ago. Much of this information has been compiled as part of the battlefield restoration effort. This past summer a series of Basttlefield tours led by Tour Guides on the anniverary of the battled were broadcasr on a television program on PCN. One tour on Big Round Top showed two giant trees flanking a series iof step leading to the top of the hill from the 1890s. Since then one of these trees has fallen, but the other still stands. I emailed one of the registerd guides, Tim Smith about a question I had concerning the forests there. Here is part of his reply: I think most of the areas of woods on the battlefield are much different today then they were at the time of the Civil War. There are photographs taken after the battle that show the woods without undergrowth. And an expert might be able to identify the types of trees in the photograph. I am sure that the species are quite different. I am not sure how many trees still stand that were her at the time, but I will bet it is not many. The area of Culp's Hill saw heavy fighting and the trees died off in great numbers in the space of a few years following the battle. Big Round Top, where the fighting was not as severe, probably retained more of its Civil War appearance, but once it became a National Park, little has been done to keep it the way it was. I would guess that the use of wooded areas as woodlots had alot to do with their appearance at the time. Farmers clearing trees for lumber and heating material, or for the making of furniture. In many areas, livestock grazed in the woods further eliminating the underbrush. And of course, I loved what you said about the canopy of an old growth forest as opposed to a young growth forrest. Also, through a study of Photograph from the time of the Civil War, it appears that the trees at the time of the battle were shorter, all over the field. I am not really sure what that means. Different species, perhaps? If a tree falls down today the NPS just leaves it lay. This simply would not have happened at that time. Today the woods on the battlefield look nothing like they did at the time of the Civil War. Felled trees are everywhere and underbrush is out of control. I am sure that the park has some sort of plan, but I am not sure what it is. Tim Smith On the American Forests website, the honey locust was one of the trees whose offspring were offered for sale as part of their historic tree program: Gettysburg Address Honey Locust On a somber November morning in 1863, Abraham Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania . He was to take part in dedicating the new "Soldiers Cemetery", graves of over 3,500 souls from the July battle there. While Lincoln 's speech lasted only minutes, its words still evoke the sadness of a nation torn by war. $39,97 The last I heard the Park Service was trying to decide whether to try to [reserve the remaining portions of the tree or to remove it entirely. I would like to see the tree saved, even without its top. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/09/historic.tree.ap/index.html "The top of it is totally broken off, and [the storm] severely damaged 70 to 80 percent of the tree," Gettysburg National Military Park spokeswoman Jo Sanders said. "That means there's not a whole lot left of it. But it didn't kill the tree." There is a photograph of the fallen tree at this site: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/20080809__quot_Witness_tree_quot__at_Gettysburg_damaged_in_storm.html Here is an interesting aside. http://www.philorch.org/imaginations/wearemetatgettysburg/steve_diary.htm Friday, Sept 7, 2001 Journal for orchestral work about Gettysburg. by Steve Heitzig of the Philidelphia Orchestra: 12:05 pm EST "I would like to compose a movement about the honey locust trees and other trees at Gettysburg that survived and witnessed this battle. Lincoln loved trees he has a famous quote about humans as trees. It is said that he sometimes preferred the company of trees over people. Perhaps a movement of just percussion and wood sounds for this." Ed Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: pabigtrees To: ENTSTrees Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 6:57 PM Subject: [ENTS] Re: Gettysburg 'witness tree' falls ENTS Honey Locust was discovered in 1700. It does grow in Pa up to Central Pa, naturally. It tends to be short lived though. It could very well have been planted, but it could still have been a witness. The Park official said it was one of a few left within the battlefield, I bet he is thinking about where Pickett's charge occured in the open fields. I bet there are hundreds of witness' on little round top for sure!! FIX BAYONETS! Scott<BR _________________________________________________________________ Learn how to add other email accounts to Hotmail in 3 easy steps. http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/167688463/direct/01/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
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