Necessary Legacy Tree Removals and Replacements in December

Tree on Abele Quad and others on East and West campuses have exceeded, or are approaching, their expected lifespan

An oak tree on campus
Due to concerns about its health, a nearly century-old willow oak will be replaced on Abele Quad. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Update: December 20, 2024

The willow oak tree near Duke University Chapel on Abele Quad was removed on Tuesday, December 17 and a Jefferson elm tree was planted in the same spot on Thursday, December 19. Also on Thursday, a decades-old oak tree was removed near Craven Quad and replaced with a swamp chestnut oak tree planted nearby. The remainder of project will be completed next week with the removal of three legacy trees on East Campus, which will be replaced in the coming months.

Original post

After nearly 90 years of providing shade to a corner of Abele Quad, a sprawling willow oak tree near Duke University Chapel will be replaced with a younger tree over winter break.

The roughly 65-foot-tall tree is believed to have been planted in the 1930s, as the initial construction on West Campus was nearing completion.

With large cavities in its trunk, dying limbs and thinning leaves, the willow oak near Duke University Chapel is in need of replacement. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Roger Conner, Landscape Services Superintendent of Tree Management for Duke’s Facilities Management Department, said that willow oaks often live roughly 80 to 90 years under ideal woodland conditions. Despite the stressors the tree has faced being in the heart of Duke’s busy campus, it has exceeded its expected lifespan.

“It’s lived more life than expected given the tree’s location,” said Roger Conner, Landscape Services Superintendent of Tree Management for Duke’s Facilities Management Department. “It’s quite remarkable when you think about it.”

Due to decay and having reached or approached the end of their lifespan, five other trees on West Campus and three trees on East Campus will be removed and replaced with other trees.

Through visual inspections and techniques that use sensors and sound waves – called sonic tomography – to provide a digital look inside a tree’s trunk, experts can determine the health of a tree. Facilities Management regularly evaluates the condition and safety of more than 17,000 campus trees, keeping an especially close eye on the older trees shading the walkways and quads on East and West campuses.

In recent years, as part of the evaluation process, Duke has monitored and managed the removal and replacement of several aging trees that have stood for decades.

“Replacing older trees is something we have to do as part of tree care,” Conner said.

Concerns about the health of the willow oak on Abele Quad comes from large cavities appearing in the trunk, dying limbs, thinning of the leaves at its crown and sonic tomography readings that show significant decay within its core.

The removal of the willow oak on Abele Quad is expected to take place by Jan. 5. A Jefferson elm tree, which will already be around 10-15 years old, will be planted in its place on the same corner of Abele Quad.

Duke’s efforts to conserve its trees and care for them in a sustainable way has earned the university the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education distinction in each of the past 16 years. Trees removed on campus are evaluated for milling potential during the removal process, and wood that cannot be milled is chipped into mulch, stored and used for landscaping.

Notable uses of wood in recent years include paneling in the Duke Student Wellness Center, all decking/railings at the Duke Pond, and a series of tables, doors and cabinetry across campus. Wood from the oaks being removed during Winter Break is currently being evaluated for milling and use as paneling and finish work in the Reuben-Cooke Building project.

“Removing a tree that is still living is a decision we consider thoroughly,” Conner said.

As Duke celebrates its centennial year, Conner’s goal is to help these oaks, and other older campus trees see as much of Duke’s second century as possible.

Send story ideas, shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

Follow Working@Duke on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and subscribe