One of NCI at Frederick’s two offspring of the Wye Oak tree that lived for nearly 500 years in Talbot County, Maryland, has found a new home on campus. The move was necessitated by upgrades to Chiller Plant #5 and the associated water piping routes on the west side of building 560.
All told, the relocation took over two months and was successfully completed thanks to a partnership between the Campus Improvement Committee; Facilities Maintenance and Engineering staff; and two local companies, TreeMovers LLC and All Branched Out Tree Experts.
The Campus Improvement Committee reviewed several locations with adequate space for the oak to grow and flourish before they ultimately decided on the corner of the Ware Drive parking lot near Building 372.
“Typically, moving a tree of that size involves the use of a 40-ton or larger spade truck. This is, in essence, a truck with four giant shovels on the back that work simultaneously to lift the tree out of the ground. This is usually all that is needed,” said Josh Bauer of All Branched Out Tree Experts, which is based in Walkersville, Maryland.
“That was certainly not the case here,” he added. “Unfortunately, we ran into a large rock shelf, which created an entire slew of unforeseen issues.”
The team had to use an excavator to remove dirt around the root ball and then use a skid steer to place six-inch steel tubing between the root ball and the surrounding rock. They then chained the pipes together and used a construction forklift to lift the tree up and wrap it in burlap, which preserves the integrity of the root ball and, ultimately, the health of the tree. Finally, they used a tire loader to move the tree to the new location and place it in the hole.
TreeMovers LLC, the other local company subcontracted for the relocation, has been moving trees for over 20 years. According to Bauer, owner Terry Martin, whose knowledge and expertise “shows in the quality of his work,” was the right person for the job.
“It has been quite the experience to move the Wye Oak,” said Martin. “I speak for all TreeMovers [employees] when I say it was a privilege to be asked and, furthermore, hired to complete the project. We are very satisfied with the outcome and will continue to work together in the future.”
