A Giant Falls

The Big Elm, one of the last of a picturesque stand that once graced the Baker Library lawn, came down earlier this spring. The immediate cause of death was the ongoing library expansion project, but the tree had been problematic for years. Or in the parlance of the College's planning office, "The tree is very mature and in declining health. The tree is heavily cabled now and showing signs of canker rot in places...." Not that the College didn't consider every option to save the sickly giant that gave shade to the northeast corner of the library. It even considered moving the tree—it can be done—but the idea was dropped, in part, because the precarious health of the tree didn't make it a good candidate for transplant.