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The Stanley Park Hollow Tree Conservation Society (SPHTCS) has
now designed and implemented - in conjunction with local volunteers, heritage experts, scientists, and engineers - a non-intrusive,
permanent support structure for the Hollow Tree. The Tree has been righted, and will remain safe and upright as an enduring
landmark and artifact for future generations, as it has been for those past.
Subsequent
to the decision of the Parks Board in April 2008 to fell the tree, the SPHTCS, and its predecessors, employed the services
of a team of local experts to outline the technical details of a report, authored by the Society, on the preservation of the
Hollow Tree. This report was presented to the Parks Board on in October 2008, and can be viewed at the link below:
Expert Report by the Stanley Park Hollow Tree Conservation Society
The Expert Report provides a detailed description of the investigation
that has led to a simple conclusion for the Hollow Tree.
In our view, the one and only appropriate and practical plan was:
To safely retain the Stanley Park Hollow Tree,
in situ, upright and with its appearance substantially unchanged,
as a significant lasting heritage landmark in Vancouver.
This plan was appropriate because it retained both the natural and heritage value of this cherished monument.
This plan was practical because the tree was still largely sound and will be for many years to come. Its connection to the ground had weakened and this had to be addressed by a combination of well-known conservation techniques. The original firm that advised Park Board quite correctly pointed out to Park Board that they did not have expertise as arborists or wood conservationists, and when such experts subsequently became involved, they unanimously agreed the tree can and should be saved.
The plan to keep the tree upright was the most natural, simplest, least invasive, and least risky solution, and now, after implementation, the tree will looks very much like it did in the 1960's. In particular the temporary ugly bracing and straps that Park Board had recently added have all been removed.
In our view, the one and only appropriate and practical plan was:
To safely retain the Stanley Park Hollow Tree,
in situ, upright and with its appearance substantially unchanged,
as a significant lasting heritage landmark in Vancouver.
This plan was appropriate because it retained both the natural and heritage value of this cherished monument.
This plan was practical because the tree was still largely sound and will be for many years to come. Its connection to the ground had weakened and this had to be addressed by a combination of well-known conservation techniques. The original firm that advised Park Board quite correctly pointed out to Park Board that they did not have expertise as arborists or wood conservationists, and when such experts subsequently became involved, they unanimously agreed the tree can and should be saved.
The plan to keep the tree upright was the most natural, simplest, least invasive, and least risky solution, and now, after implementation, the tree will looks very much like it did in the 1960's. In particular the temporary ugly bracing and straps that Park Board had recently added have all been removed.
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