From WILLblog:
This massive Bur Oak lives in the front lawn of the Natural History Building on the corner of Green Street and Matthews in Urbana. According to Geography Professor Bruce Hannon, it's the oldest living thing on the University of Illinois campus. Now 200 years old, the tree "was a sapling when the prairie fires swept easterly across what is now Champaign, routinely consuming everything before them," says Professor Hannon.
Read the whole thing.
One way or another, with the beautiful weather the weekend, I'm going to get out for a nice long hike with my camera in hand. Maybe Allerton, Riverbend or Forest Glen, or or even a canoe excursion at Kickapoo.
It's been a hectic few weeks (you've probably noticed, too) and I need to re-charge.
horsepuckey.
I know at least three professors who are way older.
Mollie said, "A 200 year old hard wood huh? I don't believe it."
Just a few days ago I watched a "Planet Earth" episode on forests on Discovery HD. It touched on what is believed to be the oldest living organism, a bristlecone pine called "Methuselah" that is approaching 4,800 years old. Very interesting episode and series.
allerton has a plant sale this weekend. If it is as windy as last week bring a kite they have a great field to fly in.
"Just a few days ago I watched a "Planet Earth" episode on forests on Discovery HD. It touched on what is believed to be the oldest living organism, a bristlecone pine called "Methuselah" that is approaching 4,800 years old. Very interesting episode and series."
I'm absolutely in love with this series, and the "Sunrise Earth" series as well. They're rapidly filling my new DVR.
After another hectic day, I'm really looking forward to a good hike.
Any recommendations?
IP, you are lucky not to have curious children during all the demonstrations of mating rituals in that series. :-)
After another hectic day, I'm really looking forward to a good hike.
Any recommendations?
Allerton. The Virginia Bluebells are carpeting just about the whole wooded area. So gorgeous, plus it's not very buggy yet.
Another cool oak tree which I believe is the oldest in the county is across the street from the old ESDA bldg on Main St. in Urbana. The N-G did a feature on it several years ago. Being from "West Urbana" I forget how old it is now or the exact history behind it. At least it didn't catch fire when Wheat's Steakhouse burned in the early '70's. I'll put in my two cents worth for Allerton, too.
"Another cool oak tree which I believe is the oldest in the county is across the street from the old ESDA bldg on Main St. in Urbana."
Where exactly is that?
The last existing tree from the southern Big Grove border is an Oak (White Oak, I think) at the corner of Main and Maple in Urbana, to the west of Long's Garage. It might be younger than 200 yrs., but it is one imposing mother.
Another place to see huge trees is Ford-Harris park off N rt. 45.. There were two massive Oaks just south of the ball diamond, but I believe that one was struck by lightning in the late '80's and had to be cut down.
It is unfortunate that venerable old trees are so large that it's impossible to give them a decent hug. ;)
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Gordy, I'd recommend Turkey Run. I used to go there alone in the early spring, and if it was cool enough, I would be one of the few visitors on the trails or in the tent area. I took MRE's, a five gallon can of water, whiskey for three days, and just hiked the trails every day. Then I'd built a fire, eat, drink, and collapse into a deep sleep. It was extremely cleansing.
IP--That oak borders the Friends meeting center property and a private house. It sits about 20 yards back from the street. It's about the 1800 block of East Main. Little piece of history I watched for years and imagined what all happened around it through time.
My friends and I are thinking about going to Turkey Run this weekend.
Turkey Run is usually our destination for our Memorial Day camping/canoeing trip.
Tomorrow I think I'm going to check out Riverbend.
If you go to Riverbend, leave the trail right away and head toward the river (unless its too muddy). Walking the long main trail along between the lake and woods is pretty tame.
Hey, it's the weekend. Ronald Reagan on the subject of trees:
"80 percent of air pollution comes not from chimneys and auto exhaust pipes, but from plants and trees."
"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do."
"If you've seen one redwood, you've seen them all."
"A tree is a tree. How many more do you have to look at?"
We're off to the U of I Women's Softball game ("The World's Largest Softball Tailgate"). Have a nice weekend everyone!
For what it's worth, I spent most of Saturday wandering around Riverbend with some friends and their two young boys. It was great, although I still want to do a nice ten or 15 mile hike in the next few weeks.
Cool, maybe some friends and I will hit Riverbend this spring also. On Saturday, we went to hike in Allerton and saw some restored prairie and wetlands. It was pretty, albeit swampier than I expected, and I was apparently considered "good eatin'" by the bugs.
that is why the farmers drained the wetlands, wayward :-)
i love kickapoo because it's dry and doesn't have the skeeters that allerton does
Much of Riverbend around the Sangamon was flooded. We hiked what we could, went around the lake, and wandered whereever we liked. The bugs weren't a problem at all - even got to show my four-year-old friend a nice long black snake swimming in the lake.