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Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board  press release sent to us by Scott Vreeland, Commissioner District # 3 

Ancient oak tree succumbs to time;  but the memories live on 300-year-old tree to be honored July  11

The ancient oak tree has stood sentinel over the Mississippi  River Gorge in the Seward neighborhood for over 300 years. Generations of  children have scaled its branches and families have picnicked in its shade. It  has weathered Minnesota’s unpredictable and sometimes harsh seasons and the urbanization of Minneapolis. But, alas, the centuries have taken their  inevitable toll. The tree, the oldest known Bur Oak in Minneapolis, has died  after being in decline for years.Seward neighbors will gather at Riverside  Park on Sunday, July 11, to pay tribute to the tree. The event begins at 6:30  p.m. A ceremony at 7 p.m. will commemorate the tree through poetry, music and  stories about the tree. The public is encouraged to bring personal reflections, photos or artwork, as well as refreshments to share. The tree is located along  West River Parkway, about two blocks north of the Franklin Avenue Bridge along  Franklin Terrace.

“To honor this living thing that towered above us in age  and stature gives us a chance to touch and reflect on hundreds of years of our  own history,” said Scott Vreeland, District 3 Commissioner with the Minneapolis  Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). “It also helps us look forward and plant trees that may be the cause of reflection hundreds of years from now.”The event  is co-sponsored by the MPRB, City of Minneapolis, and a number of local  community members. It will proceed rain or shine. Parking is limited, so the  public is encouraged to walk, bike, use Met Transit or carpool.

“This  extraordinary tree has been a natural treasure appreciated by generations of  people who have lived and visited this part of the river of what is now  Minneapolis,” said Cam Gordon, Ward Two Minneapolis City Council Member. “I am  very glad that we, as a city and a community, are taking the time and effort to  honor its death.””For me, honoring this ancient tree allows us to honor our  connection the earth, right in the middle of our urban environment,” said Seward  resident Rosemary Frazell. “I hope in celebrating the tree and all the many  gifts it has given all of us, we will be planting seeds of gratitude that will blossom into continued work to respect this earth and its resources for the next hundreds of years.”

According to Ralph Sievert, director of MPRB’s Forestry  Division, the tree’s estimated year of germination is 1677, making it approximately 333 years old. Just think, the tree was around in 1680 when Father  Louis Hennepin found what he named St. Anthony Falls. Theodore Wirth, Park  Board superintendent (1906-35), wrote in his 1941 book, Minneapolis Park System,  that the tree was “estimated by various botanists to be all the way from 150 to  700 years old….”Today, the tree stands 44 feet. It was recorded at 58 feet  in 1941, but has lost branches due to weather damage, age, etc. Its diameter is  51.25 inches and circumference is 161 inches. Its average canopy spread is 36.5  feet; it was recorded at 66 feet in 1941.

There’s still time for the public  to pay homage to the tree as it won’t be removed by the Park Board until the  fall, at which time a new Bur Oak will be planted. The Park Board is looking  into opportunities available to utilize portions of the tree for art or other  purposes. Wood chips from the tree will be placed around the new tree and in  Riverside Park to benefit the next generation of trees.Trees are a highly  prized natural amenity in Minneapolis. Aside from the obvious aesthetic  benefits, the city’s exceptional tree canopy contributes significant benefits,  such as improving air quality, protecting water, saving energy, and improving  economic sustainability. Minneapolis has been recognized as a Tree City USA  by The Arbor Day Foundation since 1979. Each spring the MPRB recognizes National  Arbor Day with a citywide tree planting celebration. The MPRB has also received  many awards for its Forestry program, including the National Arbor Day  Foundation Arbor Day Award of Excellence and Award of Merit from the Minnesota  Society of Arboriculture.

This year MPRB Forestry will plant over 4,000  trees citywide to replace trees that have been lost due to storms, Dutch elm  disease, Emerald Ash Borer, and other causes. Since 1974, the MPRB has planted  over 211,000 trees in Minneapolis. The Forestry Division cares for nearly  200,000 boulevard trees on 1,078 miles of streets.For more information  about the ancient oak tree visit:
http://sites.google.com/site/theancientoaktree/

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