tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893669372992372964.post5840992903924488061..comments2024-03-27T18:14:06.625-03:00Comments on Vancouver Island Big Trees: Stanley Park's National Geographic TreeGregg Koephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09349453216733070775noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893669372992372964.post-22449847313930628392015-11-24T04:26:27.252-04:002015-11-24T04:26:27.252-04:00Hi Gregg,
Thanks for all your great work on this ...Hi Gregg,<br /><br />Thanks for all your great work on this web site!<br /><br />I can add to this that the National Geographic Tree did not fall in a wind storm. I remember there were no wind storms that week, and I checked the weather records for the date it came down and was there was no wind storm or significant wind at all on record. I had been visiting this tree regularly at that time. It fell down in October 2007 — because in May 1992 the Park Board cut every single branch off the tree and killed it. I believe this happened because this amazing tree was never recognized in any way by the Park Board, and this anonymity left it unprotected. The newly dead tree is well-illustrated in your second picture and described in an article with Randy Stoltmann on page A45 of the Vancouver Province, May 29, 1992. I know, because this was just after I had emailed Park Board commissioner Spencer Herbert on September 24, 2007 to meet with me so I could propose that this world famous tree, not identified locally at all, could be identified, protected and celebrated by the Vancouver Park Board. Spencer arranged to meet me two weeks later, and by then it was too late, we walked to the tree but it had fallen over. This walk was the beginning of my own efforts to save the nearby Hollow Tree, which the Park Board suddenly announced it was going to cut down with chain saws a few months later. Previously the Park Board had cut down right to the ground the world famous Seven Sisters, a group of seven giant firs and cedars in Stanley Park.<br /><br />The 'murder' of National Geographic Tree in May 1992 occurred immediately after a full page picture of it appeared in the April 1992 issue of National Geographic Magazine. The magazine's world wide readership of 50 million had been observing the full page picture of it as a living tree, not realizing it was now dead after living for about 1,000 years. I was hired by National Geographic Magazine to work as an editor on the article, which was the cover story for that issue. I also guided the author of the cover story, who was from the Seattle area, to the then famous but completely unmarked National Geographic Tree. It acquired this name after a full page picture of it appeared in the October 1978 issue of the magazine. <br /><br />There are other huge trees in the park, identified and documented by Randy Stoltmann, that are STILL unidentified, unprotected and uncelebrated by the Vancouver Park Board, including even a cedar larger than the Hollow Tree and the National Geographic Tree.<br /><br />- Bruce Macdonald, author of Vancouver: A Visual History<br /> bruce1m@shaw.cavansince1911https://www.blogger.com/profile/04852056373226596527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893669372992372964.post-56282300427705363692015-07-14T16:29:20.325-03:002015-07-14T16:29:20.325-03:00Hi Gregg,
Just a minor thing I spotted on this po...Hi Gregg,<br /><br />Just a minor thing I spotted on this post - The little map of Stanley Park isn't correct, it should say that cars, rollerbladers and cyclists move in a counter-clockwise direction, not clockwise. Just in case anyone looking here attempts to drive the wrong way up a one-way road. Stanley Park is mostly one-way, but occasionally there are two way roads around.<br /><br /><br />Best regards,<br /><br />-AndyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893669372992372964.post-24981882006928887742013-06-26T14:18:51.684-03:002013-06-26T14:18:51.684-03:00Jim, Thank you so much for getting in contact with...Jim, Thank you so much for getting in contact with us and filling in more information about this awesome photograph.<br /><br />Thank you for granting permission to keep it posted here on VIBT. I have given you credit in the caption.<br /><br />Here's hoping you have more old growth walks in the future, and thanks for visiting our blog!Gregg Koephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09349453216733070775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893669372992372964.post-55604148322856695402013-06-18T18:15:37.995-03:002013-06-18T18:15:37.995-03:00Wowee, I couldn't help but notice that first p...Wowee, I couldn't help but notice that first photo--because I took it (around 1977) and that's me beside the NGT. I've seen the pic on the web recently, don't know how it could have gotten there because I can't recall ever making a reprint or scanning the print. A mystery! <br /><br />Anyways, no worries with you posting it here. I really enjoy your blog, just like I enjoy all-too-rare walks in the old growth. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08575563070055187426noreply@blogger.com