“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” Joyce Kilmer wrote those lines in 1913.
More than a century later, many people would still agree with him. The beauty of trees is now on the minds of many of Cortez’s residents and library patrons, as a beloved willow just outside the library is set to be removed.
The public can come say goodbye to the unhealthy and aging tree at a ceremony on Monday at 11 a.m.
Library director Beth Edson said there will be light refreshments and music featuring songs about trees and nature.
According to a press release, the city recently hired a local business, Legacy Tree Solutions, to conduct tree-hazard assessments on city properties. The idea is to spot trees where a failure is likely, which could be a threat to property or people. The willow was one of the high-risk trees.
“We have been watching this tree for years, as it has slowly been dying over the last five or more years,” said Cortez Parks and Recreation director Creighton Writer in the press release. “This winter was the breaking point; it had many die-offs in the upper limbs that became susceptible to breaking. Two large limbs broke off in the early morning during a recent wind event.”
It’s unclear how old the willow is. Library adult-services director Heather Roe told KSJD it has been growing there on Montezuma Avenue since she was a child.
She and Edson said they hope a portion of the tree can be saved for them when it is cut down so they can count its rings and learn its age.
Edson, who was hired as the library’s director in December, said the tree was one of the first things she noticed when she conducted tours.
“I could only imagine in its heyday how beautiful it was,” she said.
Over the years, several wooden props with carved designs were set under some of the willow’s lowest limbs to keep them from breaking. “We’re going to try to keep those props,” she said.
Another tree, possibly a large oak, will be planted in its place. Edson told KSJD she hopes the replacement tree will become “as grand and beautiful as that one.”
In its press release, the city said there are about a half-dozen high-risk trees in Centennial Park that are slated for removal in the next few weeks and a replacement will be planted nearby whenever possible.
