Windswept pine tree at Killbear Provincial Park gets 30 clones to be planted soon

CBC

a day ago

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The tree, which has attracted visitors for decades, is now rotting from the inside out
Image | Killbear Tree
Caption: Chief naturalist Kenton Otterbein says this white pine tree has been photographed by visitors at Killbear Provincial Park thousands of times. Some people even have tattoos of the tree. (Killbear Provincial Park/Facebook)
A non-profit organization has created 30 clones of a windswept white pine tree in Killbear Provincial Park that has attracted visitors for decades.
"It has become one of the most photographed trees, beloved by everybody that comes to the park," said Kenton Otterbein, chief naturalist at the park which is northwest of Parry Sound, Ont.
"It's basically become the symbol of Killbear Provincial Park over the years."
But in recent years that famous tree has started to rot from the inside out, and can no longer support itself on its own. In 2022, park staff had to lean it on braces to protect visitors.
Otterbein said that decision has sparked a lot of strong opinions.
Some people think the park should be doing more to save what is simply known as "The Tree," while others say it's part of the natural cycle of life for the tree to die.
Nevertheless, a not-for-profit organization called the Forest Gene Conservation Association has stepped in to keep the tree's legacy alive through 30 clones.
CEO Kerry McLaven said trees are cloned by grafting small pieces taken from a branch to a seedling.
"What we're creating is not quite a tree, but a graft we call it," she said.
"And it started with two different pieces of a tree, but the top part of it, where all the seeds will eventually be produced, is actually from that original tree."
McLaven said the cloned seedlings are currently growing at a facility at Kemptville, Ont., and will be planted at Killbear Provincial Park in the late summer or early fall.