Fall Local Living 2023

36—Fall Local Living 2023 T ullahoma Tree Board mem- ber Cathy Conley described what she called a “war” of na- ture while giving a tour of the East Park Arboretum on July 26. A certified arboretum since April 27, 2017, the tree park has provided disc golfers with a lush course, nature lovers with gen- tle green serenity and families a chance to connect outside of the chaos of daily life. Conley said the tree board has worked with the city parks department to plant around 60 trees in the vast field at East Park, but they have battled with several difficulties including distance between saplings, deer using the field for food and the stark change in temperatures from what she called “the deep freeze” this winter, when Tul- lahoma’s outdoor temperature was zero degrees Fahrenheit. She described how the low tem- perature in contrast with this summer’s mid-nineties temper- atures has negatively affected the growth of the trees, in some cases killing them. She added that the board has begun “urg[ing]” wildflowers to grow around the arboretum, but has been stopped by the deer that come in herds to feast on the colorful fields. “It’s a real battle,” she said. Another struggle that the arboretum has faced include the spacing out of the trees, which Conley explained by saying that trees need friends. She said they are hoping to start planting the trees closer together. She said that while the board welcomes disc golfers, in some cases, their passionate competi- tion can cause damage to some of the trees at the first tee. All in all, Conley expressed some distress at the plight of the arboretum’s trees. Her wishes for the park to flourish and grow are echoed by the rest of the tree board. At their monthly meeting on August 1, City Forester Lyle Russell said that he counted at least 12 trees that needed replacing, but conceded there might be more. Changes in cli- mate, mainly heat, appeared to be the most prevalent issue. In other tree board news, the board is planning to start hosting a Tree Club at East and West Middle Schools in the fall, the board is considering how to beautify the downtown area of Tullahoma with the help of Rus- sell and designs have begun for an arboretum map and larger sign at the entrance of East Middle that better indicates the location of the arboretum. Nature’s ‘war’ at East Park Arboretum