Two Willow Oak trees that have reached the end of their lifespan on campus will be removed on May 31. The wood that is usable from the trees will be saved to be repurposed for campus needs.
The two trees are located on the East and West sides of Reynolda Hall. The Willow Oak beside Reynolda and Lot C, adjacent to the flagpole, is declining at the highest rate. The tree no longer has energy stores to callus or seal itself from wounds, has signs of decay and wood fungus, and the canopy is in severe decline.
Following the removal, a new tree will be planted in its place.
The second Willow Oak tree is located by the Reynolda Hall loading dock at Lot M. The tree canopy is in decline and the planting pit size is not adequate to support the mature tree. A new tree will be planted in another location on campus, given the constraints at this location.
The WFU Campus Tree Advisory Committee evaluates all proposed tree removals and provides recommendations for the care of our campus trees in adherence with the WFU Campus Tree Care Plan. The plan includes policies for working with construction & planning teams to avoid impacts to trees, repurposing wood from trees that need to be removed, provision of approved species lists for new plantings on campus, and more.
The committee maintains a 1:1 replanting ratio, ensuring that for each tree that is removed, one is planted in its place. In the aggregate, over the past decade, nearly 1,200 new and replacement trees have been planted on campus.
For up-to-date news on all campus tree removals and replacements, interested individuals can view the list of all tree removals since 2015, with reasons for their removal.
