TIL my city's storm cleanup crew saved a huge oak by not just grinding the stump

After that big windstorm last week, I saw them cut down a broken white oak on Maple Street. They left about eight feet of trunk and drilled holes for native bees instead of removing it all. Anyone else seen towns do habitat snags like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_jenkins1mo ago

Isn't it cool how the best fixes are often the simplest? I've seen more parks leave dead trees for woodpeckers lately, which feels like a real shift.

milestaylor1mo ago

Our local park tried that and now it's a termite buffet spreading to nearby homes. That dead wood also creates a real trip and fall hazard on the trails. Sometimes the simple fix just creates new problems.

fisher.adam1mo ago

Yeah, it's a smart move. @nina_jenkins is right about the shift, and it saves the city money on full removal too. That old wood becomes a whole apartment complex for bugs, birds, and fungi. More towns should copy this instead of just making a pile of wood chips. It shows someone there actually gets how nature works.