The once-mighty maple that towers over the NEOMED courtyard, across the way from Hippocrates himself, will soon be coming down.
Dale Hluch, director of campus operations, says that the tree’s health has been declining for the past two to three years and fungus began to appear last year, a telltale sign of tree death. Ants have now entered the tree’s branches, and although supporting cables have done their job well, it’s prudent to take the tree down now.
The view may look different for a time, but the commitment to planting will continue.
In March, NEOMED marked its fourth year of being honored with Tree Campus Higher Education Recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for “commitment to effective urban forest management.” Jerry Bergstrom, supervisor of the physical plant for Campus Operations, oversees the planting and care of NEOMED’s trees.