Today@Dal

A group of 11 urban forestry students from Dalhousie University spent the weekend cataloging the species, location, diameter and condition of hundreds of trees in Pugwash, N.S.

“It's fun because we love trees,” said student Katherine Witherspoon. “We love hugging trees. Measuring every tree involves kind of giving it a little hug and getting to know every tree.”

The students, along with professor Peter Duinker, are conducting an inventory of trees and shrubs on several Pugwash streets.

The work is being done for the local Communities in Bloom committee. It’s field work for students, and a chance to help the community.

“From knowing what we have, we can make good recommendations to the village about what to do over the next few decades to really make this a vibrant and stunning canopy of trees in the village,’ said Duinker.

The students found a large number of Manitoba maples, a weedy species that can be a problem in populated areas.

Duinker says there are more tall poplar trees in trees per capita in Pugwash than any other part of the province.

“Poplar wood is weak, and when the poplar trees are 30 metres tall, they catch wind like no other tree can catch wind and the taller a tree is, the greater the ease with which it can fall down on top of power lines and houses,” said Duniker.

Read More (http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/dalhousie-students-spend-weekend-studying-trees-in-pugwash-1.2615774)