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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
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November/December 2017
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME
For many, Hurricane Harvey was the worst storm they'd
ever seen or experienced in Texas. Not since 1978 had the
area had that much rain at once – getting a year's worth
of rain in a few days. That's in addition to the devastating
130 mph winds.
But for the 1,000-year-old live oak tree at Goose Island
State Park in Rockport, Texas, it was just another
heavy-hitter.
"Frankly, there's no telling how many hurricanes and storms
this tree has witnessed. It came through Harvey pretty well,"
said Jack Swayze, assistant district manager of Davey's
South Houston Residential/Commercial office. "A few leaves
were stripped off, but it's protected by other nearby trees,
which was enough to prevent any major structural damage."
Swayze has been caring for this tree, fittingly called "Big
Tree," for 42 years. "When I first saw the tree back in 1975,
I'd never seen any tree of that size. It just pops up in the
middle of this remote location. It's magnificent. When you
see it, you're awed," Swayze said.
Above: With a crown spread of nearly 90 feet, Big Tree at Goose
Island State Park will continue to inspire awe for the foreseeable
future. The tree survived Hurricane Harvey with little to no damage.
Annually, Swayze and a crew make the long, quiet drive to
the park to visit and care for Big Tree. Then, they inspect it
and do what's needed to keep it healthy. Usually, that means
a helping of Arbor Green PRO
®
, a bit of pruning and a few
tweaks to the tree's cables and lightning protection system.
As luck would have it, Swayze had a crew in the area, who
stopped and checked Big Tree a week before Harvey. When
the storm landed, Big Tree was ready. Swayze was elated to
hear the tree survived Harvey virtually unscathed.
"There's no way that tree will die on my watch! I've been
caring for it for four decades and am retiring soon. It's one
of my favorite trees. I'm incredibly proud of the work I've
done there and the role I've played," said Swayze.
Ted Sonnier, who became the office's district manager in
February 2016, will proudly continue to care for the tree
after Swayze retires.
MY DAVEY
