3 days ago
Calgary tree canopy dwindling due to wet summer weather
Christene Scott has called the northwest Calgary neighbourhood of Silver Springs home for the past 20 years.
But in the span of roughly three weeks, she's experienced something — twice — that she'd never seen before.
'We woke up Sunday morning and we couldn't get out our front door,' Scott said.
That was because a 50-year-old poplar tree had fallen on her roof, right over top of her bedroom.
It followed up a July 15th incident that saw a neighbouring spruce fall in her front yard, missing the home by just a few centimetres.
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'Every year it leaned more and more… then one night, it fell,' Scott said.
As a former newspaper science writer, Scott knows — and appreciates — her nature.
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She pointed out the growth of white fungus near the base of the former trees, indicating the canopy's time was coming due.
Scott says the neighbours have graciously worked with her to clean things up, and another tree will be coming down shortly.
Arborist Greg Fletcher has been fielding lots of those calls lately.
'If a large tree falls on a car, you're buying a new car,' Fletcher said, standing in front of the limbs of a 100-foot-tall poplar tree he'd just finished pruning.
'If you can't stomach the risk, the only answer is removal.'
Feltcher says some homeowners are reluctant to let their trees go – giving up the shade, moisture retention and other hidden benefits.
'The benefits of trees are significant — we feel that we should be trying to preserve as many trees as possible,' Feltcher said
Scott has watched a collective century of history fall in her yard in the past month.
She just hopes there's enough being planted to supply the next generation.
'I just love trees and it hurts me to have to see them cut down.'
