墨爾本皇家植物園百年橡樹倒下
2019 年聖誕節後兩天，墨爾本皇家植物園橡樹草坪上最大的橡樹倒下了，這棵樹大約150多歲。它分成2次倒下，第1次當天早上時候倒一部份，第2次下午。倒下的原因不是很確家，很可能是衰老等綜合因素(乾旱、強風和氣候變化的累積影響)。
在墨爾本，橡樹的生長速度幾乎是它們自然棲息地的兩倍，北美東部和中部的自然棲息地可以活 300 年或更長時間。
The White Oak in Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
By Tim Entwisle | August 9, 2020
Historic Oaks
Two days after Christmas 2019, one of the largest oaks on Oak Lawn, at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, fell over. It split in two, with the first tranche falling early in the day, the second, late afternoon. We are not sure why it fell but most likely a mix of old age (these trees live to 300 years or more in natural habitat of eastern and central North America, but in Melbourne oaks and elms grow almost twice as fast as in their natural home, due to our mild winters, and can senesce at a younger age), droughts (including the recent Millennial Drought), strong winds and the cumulative effects of climate change (we know some oaks will not tolerate higher temps and less rainfall modeled for Melbourne). When I returned to the Gardens from leave a few days later, the tree was a serpentine tangle of ancient wood and still fresh green leaves.
獻給倒下白橡樹的詩:
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Poem for a Fallen Oak. Elaine Pickering shared some beautiful words about the fallen White Oak (Quercus alba) on Melbourne Garden's Oak Lawn.
Meanderings of Thought
Sitting Underneath a Tree in the Botanical Gardens
Melbourne
27 December 2011
If I were to die in this moment
This tree would still be here
Its branches curling o’er the grass
It wouldn’t shed a tear
But it would know for in its shade
A spiritual connection we have made
Cool is the grass beneath me
Though down the sun it beats
The branches nestling me below
Stretch out above my seat
The birds shriek out their raucous call
I am at peace within my soul
The city starts to waken
The distant rumbling louder gets
A dog flops down upon the grass
Its walker does a yoga stretch
A breeze picks up the branches
And rustles them around
But still this old tree at its core
Is rooted to the ground
How long has this tree stood its ground
Through storms and drought and blistering heat?
How many folks has it embraced
When they have sat upon this seat?
And wooed and cried and laughed and thought
About their life and what it’s brought
Life lessons waft around my head
Thoughts of nature and the human state
There’re many notions I can think
And pithy sentiments can make
But, instead I take one last drink
From my paper coffee cup
And quieting my active thoughts
I tell my mind to just shut up
For sitting here is all I need
In this very moment
Why think of life or what’s for lunch
But in this instance be content
To let the resonating hum of nature that’s around
Restore my pulsing being, lifting my spirit off the ground
For it is only when we let
Life go passing by
And quiet moments breath we in
And from that deep place make a sigh
That earth can give a wordless shout
Reminding us what life’s about
It is enough just being
Breathing, listening and seeing.
橡樹倒下後，做成椅子讓遊客休憩。
Cite:
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
https://www.foreground.com.au/parks-places/how-the-royal-botanic-gardens-victoria-is-saving-flora-from-climate-disasters/
https://www.rareamazing.com/fallengiants
https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/white-oak-royal-botanic-gardens-victoria
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