Last week authorities in Japan cut down a pine tree at Rikuzentakata in a bid
to preserve it. The tree had been part of a coastal forest, but was the only
one left standing after last year's tsunami struck the country. It will be
cut into sections, given anti-decay treatment, reassembled using a carbon
spine, and replanted in the same spot. The whole process could take around
six months.
When I read that description of this pine, I was reminded of the (in)famous quote from the Vietnam war. I suppose I understand the logic behind the process - the tree is being preserved as a monument of an event rather than as a tribute to itself. Still...
The photo, btw, comes from a stunning 16-photo gallery of the "world's most famous trees," among which I find the "Queen Elizabeth oak" quite striking (because of its shape rather than the legend):
Legend has it that the future Queen Elizabeth was sat under this tree, eating
an apple, when she was told that her sister Mary had died, and she was the
new monarch. The tree is found in the grounds of Hatfield House in
Hertfordshire.
Photo credits surprisingly not specified at the Telegraph link.
(Reposted from 2012 for Arbor Day 2015)
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