March 29, 2023Updated: March 29, 2023 2:20 PM
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This maple tree in City Park is believed to be around 125 years old, but it is in poor health.
Billy Woods/The Secret Service
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This maple tree near the Edwardsville Public Library in City Park has deteriorated with age. It is now to be dismantled for safety reasons.
Billy Woods/The Secret Service3from5
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This maple tree in City Park, just outside the Edwardsville Public Library, is about to be felled due to its poor health.
Billy Woods/The Secret Service5from5
EDWARDSVILLE — City Park loses a dear old friend: A towering maple tree estimated to be around 125 years old will be removed in the near future amid safety concerns over its deteriorating health.
The city of Edwardsville made the announcement Tuesday night.
The tree is prominently located in downtown Park, about halfway between the Edwardsville Public Library and South Buchanan Street.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on it for about five years,” said Sarah Cundiff, chair of the city’s Beautification and Trees Commission. “We knew it was in decline and we tried to hold it as long as possible. Being such an active park, this is a safety issue.”
An exact date for the felling of the tree has not yet been set, but work is expected to take place within the next two weeks. In early March, a tree fell on the north side of the library on a day when high winds, rain and snow swept through the city. The trunk of this tree is all that remains on the property and it will be removed along with the maple tree.
Cundiff said it was with a heavy heart that the decision to remove the towering maple was made.
“It’s such a cool tree. But trees are living things and they come and go,” Cundiff said, noting that an arborist recently examined the tree and suggested it was time to remove it. “While it’s a loss for City Park, it’s a replaceable loss.”
Just last year, three new trees were planted in City Park – two tulip trees and one red bud – in pre-emptive preparation for the inevitable loss of some of the park’s trees. Arbor Management has also provided its services for several years to remove dead branches from the city park’s maple tree in hopes of prolonging its life, Cundiff said.
To emphasize the importance of this tree and to commemorate the impending loss, a thank you note was attached to it. It was adopted from the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery’s Notice of Tree Removal.
“I felt like we had to do something to honor the life of this tree,” Cundiff said.
Parks and Recreation Director Nate Tingley hopes part of the maple tree can be saved and reused in some way. Some of it can also be shredded for use along trails or in other areas.
As part of their mission, Beautification and Tree Commission members work with the city’s Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments to ensure the health and beauty of the city’s landscaping, trees and flower beds.
The commission, whose honorary members are appointed by the mayor, also oversees the annual Green Thumb Awards and the fall tree planting incentive program.
For more information on the commission, visit the city’s website: www.cityofedwardsville.com/274/Beautification-Tree-Commission
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https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/125-year-old-maple-tree-edwardsville-s-city-park-17866620.php
