West Virginia University becomes home to State Champion paperbark maple

Thanks to West Virginia University’s growing commitment to campus tree care and an ongoing collaboration between the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and Facilities Management, WVU Evansdale is now home to a newly crowned champion – the largest paperbark maple in the state. The 24-foot “State Champion” is the first of its kind to be nominated to the West Virginia Big Tree Program.

The WV Big Tree Program, administered by the WV Division of Forestry, is an ongoing effort to locate, measure and record the largest trees in the state. According to Bob Hannah, who coordinates both the Urban Forestry and Big Tree Programs for the WVDOF, the program dates back to 1963 and serves a valuable purpose.  

“The WV Big Tree program provides several benefits: it engages the public, creates an interest in large trees and makes people aware of the many ecosystem services trees of all sizes provide within communities,” Hannah said. “The greatest significance of this particular tree is that it represents an entirely new species to be nominated to the program.”  

WVU’s paperback maple, scientifically known as Acer griseum, was nominated by Daniel Robison, dean of the WVU Davis College.

“Recognizing special trees as ‘State Champions’ is not only fun and a source of pride, but also reminds us of our connections to nature, the beauty and inspiration that comes from trees, and of the passage of time and how trees can humble us,” Robison said.

And, this paperback maple does just that. Formerly part of the landscape of the original Agricultural Sciences Building, it was transplanted in 2017 to the back lawn of the new Agricultural Sciences Building prior to the demolition of the former building. Though, that wasn’t always its intended fate.

Due to its large size and challenging location – right between the corner of the old building and a sidewalk – the contractor responsible for the building demolition had planned to cut it down.

“As they were getting ready to tear down the old building, Matt Jenks (then-Director of Plant and Soil Sciences) was the one who initiated the process, saying it would be ‘a shame to lose such a beautiful tree, and I agreed,’” said Greg Dahle, associate professor of Forest Resources Management in the Davis College Division of Forestry and Natural Resources. “Not only would we be losing a beautiful tree, but we would lose something valuable on the educational side and miss the opportunity to introduce a mature, unique specimen to students.” 

After exploring several options, Dahle began working with WVU Grounds and Labor on the effort. 

“Ed Mason, Jim Mirage and their crew took it upon themselves to move the tree, saving the University a considerable cost,” Dahle said. “If you don’t have the knowledge of how to move a big tree, you could do some serious damage. They really knew what they were doing and did a splendid, skilled job of moving it.”

According to Ed Mason, assistant director of Grounds and Labor, this was the first time they had moved a tree this large and, though it took a significant amount of planning and time, it was well worth the effort. 

“The paperbark maple is an unusual and beautiful tree, with exfoliating bark that is especially attractive,” Mason said. “You do not see them often, so we’re glad we successfully moved it to its current location. It would have cost thousands of dollars to purchase a tree this big – if you could find one.”

The preservation of this tree and its recognition as a State Champion align with the University's larger goal to earn the Tree Campus USA designation by 2019. 

“This is another great example of the University, at many levels, being interested in making tree care a priority and looking at urban forest issues on campus,” said Dahle, who serves on the WVU’s Tree Campus USA committee.

The State Champion paperbark maple tree was entered into the WV Division of Forestry’s database on August 15, and will appear online when the registry is updated next summer.

-WVU-

nl/09/04/2018

CONTACT: Nikky Luna; WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
304.293.2394; Nikky.Luna@mail.wvu.edu

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