My neighbor had a very large, very old, double-leader oak tree in his back yard. The other day, we heard a huge crash! It was a sunny, windless day. But that mighty oak lost one of its leaders (stems). Luckily, no one was hurt and no property was damaged. So, what is my point? We inspect street lights, telephone poles, sidewalks, etc. to make sure they are stable and cannot hurt anyone. Yet, in parks and at schools where adults and children gather, we never think to inspect our trees. What if that double-leader oak tree was located in a park, next to a playground, and on a sunny, windless day, one of those leaders came crashing down…?
New Jersey Tree Foundation
Greening New Jersey, one tree at a time.