During the summer of 2021, our once stately maple tree succumbed to time and the elements. Although we do not know the exact date nor the circumstances of the moment, it fell to the southwest landing diagonally across the Hillside-1 trail. The impact caused it to break into 4 distinct segments of about 10 ft. each. The trunk diameter at the lowest fracture was in excess of 3 ft. Yes, it was a substantial specimen.

It is sad to see this piece of woodlot history on the ground. We estimate that the date was about 1850 when its life began — with its death occurring about 2002. For the past 20+ years, we have photographed it annually from the same vantage point in order to document the decline and return to the earth. It is our hope that the displayed photos serve to educate.

The majority of these photos were taken on October 22, 2021 — those showing the autumn leaves on the ground. The other photos, those without the autumn colours, were taken on October 3, 2021. For the 6 week period following mid-September, the woodlot experienced near record rainfall — in excess of 100 mm.