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<\/a>Ed Nizalowski is pictured with a cross-section of a champion Elm.<\/p><\/div>\n
Next, we got much closer, and I told them, \u201cNow we need to be more scientific; we are going to be botanists and study the specific area of botany known as dendrochronology.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is the study of tree rings. The elm was about 150 years old when it met its demise from an invasive species that was brought over from Holland about 100 years ago with some elm burl logs. Most elm trees, however, never reach that size, so this one kept its immunity for a significantly long time. What is fortunate is that the Farmstead itself has a number of healthy elm trees that are beating the odds.<\/p>\n
Next, we went to our interpretive kiosk, which was designed by Isabella Shiel. She did this as part of a Gold Award project for Girl Scouts. She did a marvelous job of showing the layout of our trails and what one can see on the trails at different times of the year. She also revised our interpretive signs along the trail and re-established the trail that had been wiped out along the edge of the creek.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Ed Nizalowski is pictured next to “Asa,” offering a perspective of its size. Photo provided.<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the images was that of a bald eagle, a species that has re-established itself in the Southern Tier. I engaged the students in looking at the factors that cause a species to go extinct and the role that DDT played in the eagle population drop, along with other birds of prey.<\/p>\n
Next, we crossed the creek over the Sycamore Bridge to see a very large sycamore. This is the largest species of tree that we have in the Eastern United States. It is a type of tree whereby the bark does not expand with the growth of the tree and gives a \u201cmottled\u201d appearance of white, light gray, and dark gray. It can be referred to as the camouflage tree. Its preferred environment is along streams and rivers.<\/p>\n
Along what we call the \u201cred trail\u201d we do a detour because of a large American ash that has fallen prey to the emerald ash borer. We walked around an abandoned cornfield that shows the process of succession after about 20 years.<\/p>\n
At the south end of the property, I pointed out the place where Asa Bement, Jr. had placed a dam for his sawmill and gristmill over 200 years ago. There is one log from the dam that can still be seen when the water is low.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Ed explains how the word \u201chickory\u201d is derived from an Native American word from the oil that can be produced from hickory nuts.<\/p><\/div>\n
While I engaged the students and piqued their curiosity with our nature walk, Ms. Berry\u2019s, Ms. Kelley\u2019s, Mr. Hoey\u2019s (Ms. Kelley\u2019s student teacher), and Mrs. Wilcox\u2019s students were immersed in various activities at the Farmstead and across the way at the Maple Grove. These activities were patterned around the theme of interconnectedness and balance as it relates to forest health and climate change mitigation. The students used quadrat sampling to determine biodiversity levels, measured tree circumference to estimate carbon storage, conducted soil health assessments, analyzed different types of plant litter, and approximated the tree density of the forest.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s chaperones, Mrs. Gretz (former OFA biology teacher and administrator), Ms. Chandler, Mr. Zetzsche, and Mr. Bingley assisted the students with their work. Each separate \u201ctest\u201d was used to develop a holistic picture of how all the individual pieces are intricately connected and, if balanced optimally, will continue to allow the forest to operate as the type of carbon sink needed to cycle carbon in such a way that climate change can be mitigated to some extent. This pairs well with New York State\u2019s 2033 \u201825 Million Trees\u2019 reforestation initiative, as well as the new Regents \u2018NYS Life Science: Biology\u2019 curriculum.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, the entire group went across the road from the Farmstead to visit with \u201cAsa,\u201d the current co-champion shagbark hickory for New York State.<\/p>\n
The Big Tree Register was started by the National Forest Service in the 1940’s to help promote forestry and forest conservation. It is based on a point system: a point for each inch of circumference, a point for each foot of height, and a quarter point for each foot of crown spread. If two trees are within five points of one another, they are co-champions.<\/p>\n
Asa’s current measurements are as follows: circumference 174.125\u201d, height 77′ and crown spread 11.44 pts., making a total of 263. We have placed a fence around the \u201cdrip edge\u201d of the limbs to reduce compaction of the soil from vehicular traffic.<\/p>\n
<\/a>This sycamore limb has signs of mottled bark. Photo provided.<\/p><\/div>\n
Another interesting point is that the name is derived from a Native American word referring to the oil that would rise to the top when boiling hickory nuts. This was used as a food supplement because of its nutritional value, having almost four times the protein of cow’s milk.<\/p>\n
We will probably never know the correct age of the tree, even with a coring tool, because the tree is completely hollow, but in all likelihood, it dates well back into the 19th century to attain that size. (I like to joke that if Asa were in the middle of the forest, it would be a raccoon condominium.)<\/p>\n
As a tree ages, goes into decline, and develops all these openings and hollows, it serves an important purpose in the biodiversity of the environment. If a mother bear is able to dig under the roots, she could spend the winter safe and sound inside a tree like Asa, give birth to her cubs, and not have to worry until spring weather makes it safe to come outside.<\/p>\n
<\/a>A healthy American elm on the Farmstead property displaying the wonderful architecture that inspired the book \u201cThe Republic of Shade: New England and the American Elm.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n
Asa is a tree that has certainly witnessed some history. It has lost some limbs over the years, but because hickory wood is so tough, it has survived countless storms over the years (including the hailstorm and near hurricane force winds from this summer) even though it stands completely by itself with no other trees to protect it.<\/p>\n
It was a witness to the Northern Tioga County Fair, which ran from 1880 to 1916. It is still quite healthy and produced a bumper crop of hickory nuts in the \u201cmast\u201d year of 2024. Society members started measuring this tree in the 1980’s and it has generally put on an inch of circumference nearly every year. Let’s hope that it enjoys many more good years and that many more people can marvel at its longevity and size.<\/p>\n
Visions Federal Credit Union awarded a grant that was utilized for supplies for use during the field trip, including PVC pipe and elbows, leather gloves, tape measures, scissors, weigh boats, and garden trowels.<\/span><\/p>\n