15
May/June 2019
|
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
EAGLE SCULPTURE SAVED FROM COLLAPSE
The wings of a wooden eagle may yet soar above the skies
of Fort Myers, Florida, thanks to the combined efforts of
Davey employees from the Naples Residential/Commercial
office and the Davey Institute.
A live oak tree, believed to date to the late 1700s,
transformed into a sculpture of an eagle taking flight when
southwest Florida artist Marlin Miller used his chainsaw to
turn the dying tree into a work of art.
The tree stood on the Lee County Courthouse lawn, and
Lee County Commissioners had chosen Miller in 2011 to
sculpt the tree after learning it had become infested with
termites. Miller's work, combined with the addition of rods
and braces, had been meant to preserve the historic tree
for as long as possible.
A.D. Ali, manager of technical services at the Davey
Institute, said the county approached him in April 2018
because the base of the tree sculpture had rotted and
posed a risk of the tree collapsing.
Ali said the county wanted to cut down the tree, which
stood about 40 feet tall, to evaluate it and see if it could be
salvaged and eventually re-installed on the courthouse lawn.
"It took about 45 minutes to cut the base with an oversized
bar," Ali said. "We ruined a couple of chains because
there was a chunk of concrete in the center from an old
cavity filling."
The stump measured 7 feet in diameter. The sculpture
weighted 16,000 pounds. Once it was cut, a crane operator
lowered it onto a flatbed so the county could have it hauled
to a warehouse for examination and storage.
Ali said the wings of the eagle sculpture showed signs of
decay, and the stump had evidence of Ganoderma basal rot.
"Hopefully the decay can be addressed and the statue can
be re-erected in the same spot on a different base," he said.
The Davey crew poses with the eagle sculpture before removing it.
Pictured are: Rich Wiland, district manager, Naples office; Derek Harris,
sales arborist; Ethan Jaques, foreman; John Jaques, foreman; and
A.D. Ali, manager of technical services.
The eagle tree sculpture is lowered onto a flatbed trailer.
