On Tuesday, August 21, 2013, the gates to The Woodlands were closed as we worked with Arader Tree Service to complete important routine tree maintenance. (Maybe you noticed the below image by Paul Phillipe Cret--the designer of our front gates--online and onsite that day?)
Since gaining colonial notoriety as the estate of William Hamilton, The Woodlands has for centuries offered the public a park-like setting, and today boasts a collection of over 800 trees on the property, including 7 state champion trees. (Curious as to what makes a tree a state champion? Learn more here!)
Trees require regular care. For example, our state champion Sweet Bay Magnolia lost a massive limb in a storm this past summer. One of the many things that landscapers and arborists from Arader worked on during their 2-day visit was the cabling of this tree to prevent future limb loss, and bracing of one of the heavier limbs. This care allows for the longevity of the tree, ensuring that future visitors can continue to enjoy our historic landscape. Other routine maintenance including removing invasive species from some other historic trees on the property, clearing of limbs and brush, and removal of dead trees on the property that posed a risk to cemetery monuments. (One of these trees has even made its way over to the Parent-Infant Center [PIC] and is now a part of their green playground!) Runners might even notice more room and a cleared path on the one-mile trail that circles the perimeter of The Woodlands. Arader's team did this unbelievable work amongst even the most delicate of our monuments, and even offered us a ride in their lift at the end of their visit to survey our landscape from 77 feet and snap a few of these photographs:
The Woodlands offers our thanks and appreciation to Chris Arader and his team for their hard work and a job well done. We wouldn’t be able to continue Hamilton’s legacy of The Woodlands without your help and support!
We’ve started a tree fund to assist with routine maintenance and with regular plantings. If you’d like to contribute to this fund and help us continue the tradition of The Woodlands as a great public space, you can make a secure donation online via our Support page.