In 2019, Fairfax County Park Authority’s Hidden Oaks Nature Center celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Two months prior to the public celebration, a 120 ft tall poplar was declared hazardous due to its having been struck twice by lightning and its proximity to the building’s classroom. The tree was cut into large sections which were placed on the ground nearby and left as a 10 ft. snag. Since it had always been an important part of the viewscape from Hidden Oaks’ classroom, the Friends of Hidden Oaks Nature Center (FOHONC) rallied with concerned staff to develop an alternative scenario. Tying it into the upcoming 50th anniversary events, the group raised donations for a sculpture to be carved by chainsaw from the remaining snag.

Members of the public “adopted” via donations a native wildlife species which would be featured on the tree. Local artist Andrew Mallon created a wonder of public art featuring 10 local species. The Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads joined in the rebirth of the tree with funding a separate section to be carved into a whimsical bench next to the sculpture. The artist anticipated a 20-year “lifespan” for the art with proper upkeep.
Within less than a month, the artwork took form. Over a half a dozen news channels, including the international Voice for America, covered the news of the tree, and highlighted the educational and charming representation of wildlife in an urban woodland. The tree remained rooted in the ground and the core of the tree was the artists palette. Mallon even incorporated the cracks from the lightning strikes into the display! Before the 50th anniversary October unveiling, staff noticed an odd addition to the structure.

Nature Lobs an Attack

One dry, still day, one inch toothpick-like protuberances speckled the artwork. The thin sticks were actually sawdust from the tree’s interior. Tiny ambrosia beetles had tunneled into the tree’s heartwood bringing in fungus to farm for their sustenance. Ambrosia beetles do not consume the tree but tend the fungus in cavities on which they will deposit their eggs. These beetles attack unhealthy or dead trees. As the fungus decomposes the interior of the tree, the recycling of the tree to soil is hastened. Whereas the stability of the carved tree was not threatened, the challenge of how to protect the tree from further harm became an issue.

The art welcomed engagement for visitors to pet the artwork, to sit on the small carved in bench by the rabbit, and was a popular selfie-magnet! All the solutions on how to protect a living tree, or a standing dead snag, included using toxic chemicals. The option of keeping the public away from the tree with a tall fence defeated the purpose of accessible art. Hidden Oaks draws primarily a young family audience and school groups, so the choices were limited. The staff and artist hoped that the ambrosia beetles’ exit would be a onetime event. However, the tiny holes of entering and exiting insects continued, with ambrosia beetles bringing in fungus to grow in the interior cavities for their sustenance.

With the entrance to the tree still available through the roots and the addition of little holes created by the beetles, nature’s process of decomposition of snag to soil accelerated. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she achieves her work.” After only 5 years, the outside of the tree became spongy, and the frequently petted ear of the raccoon snapped off. The snake sculpture was munched from the inside out. Concerns over the stability of the sculpture led the staff to reach out to foresters and the artist. Out of an abundance of caution the tree was cut to only a few feet high and the sculptures removed.

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

Currently, FOHONC is working with artists to try to preserve the individual animal carvings for future posting at the center. To avoid any insect damage in the building the carvings may in the future be treated and placed outdoors. The bench is still in place, and all enjoy finding the family of raccoons hidden on one end.

Furthermore, the removal of the tree now provides the opportunity to renovate this area behind the nature center. Hidden Oaks is offering a summer internship position to a student who will help staff develop a design a plan to best use the space for interpretive, nature-based programming and park visitation, taking into consideration the natural resources of the area.

Meanwhile, visitors interested in art in the park still have options. Representations of the animals displayed on the tree are scattered along the 1/3-mile Old Oak Trail as individual cutouts, each with a QR code link to a video, available in English and Spanish. Located near the park’s frog pond is a six-foot tall painting of animals that visit the pond. They seem to walk out of the scene with their tracks leading them to roam along the trail. The real wingspans of birds and more are depicted along the exterior wall near the entrance so guests can compare their arm spans to the birds as well as to a flying reptile of the Mesozoic Era! The Storybook Walk from the Packard Center to Hidden Oaks features a tale of a box turtle. If meandering is not on your agenda, just take a seat on the iron butterfly near the entrance and contemplate the monarch butterflies that will return in the summer. Should you wish to see carved woodland animals like what was created at Hidden Oaks in 2019, visit the City of Falls Church’s Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Street.