The trees on Moravian’s campus are one of the defining qualities of this University.

Unlike so many of the other meticulously tended landscapes that other universities cherish, being able to enjoy a bounty of diverse trees makes campus life infinitely more enjoyable for students. Nothing is the same uniform green, and each tree has its own history to share.

However, as of late, trees on campus have been facing some serious damage that raises some red flags as to how their futures may look.

Starting with the Burr Oak tree in front of Comenius Hall: the most obvious and apparent loss to our community. It was painfully obvious that this tree was not going to make it. A massive limb from the tree had fallen over the summer, creating a gaping hole in the center of the tree.

Upon analysis from partnered arborists, Facilities had notified the student body that due to excess insect damage and wood rot, this tree would be removed beginning over fall break. Facilities stated in their campus-wide email that this tree would be memorialized properly. Once this tree is removed, its age will be properly determined. 

Residents of South Campus likely noticed a large fallen branch from the Common Honeylocust located along the pathway leading up to the H.I.L.L.

The powerful storms that assaulted the area that weekend had led to a large limb being severed from the tree, falling directly next to the Benigna statue. While this did not lead to any causes for legitimate concern, nor has the tree undergone any further damage than that, noticeable damages to mature trees becoming relatively more common than ever still raises voice for concern.

During the bouts of intense summer storms, even prior to the Burr Oak’s limb falling, one of the American Sycamores found along the outer fence of the Betty Prince field had also collapsed, crushing a piece of the fence inward. Like South Campus’ Common Honeylocust, this did not lead to any significant damage to the Sycamore, and the fence of the field was not harmed to an extreme degree.

With the tree-damaging events increasing on campus, there are reasons to be concerned. Despite these concerns, there’s still plenty of room for hope.

The Facilities Department is always working avidly to ensure the health of the trees on campus, and through events like the annual Arbor Day Tree Planting, Moravian is constantly refreshing and rejuvenating the greenery students get to appreciate on campus.