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Charles Harrington and Matt Follett measure the circumference of the massive Red Oak behind Sherriff Hall. (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

The Red Oak was well established when Edward Cornwallis arrived on Halifax鈥檚 shores in 1749, and already impressive when George Ramsay, the ninth Earl of Dalhousie, decided to establish a college in Halifax in the early 19th century.

Looking a bit like the Whomping Willow described in the Harry Potter books, Quercus rubra has a trunk that measures 167 centimetres in diameter and is more than 19 metres tall. Located behind Sherriff Hall, its massive canopy shades the sidewalk on Oxford Street.

Arborist Matt Follett estimates the tree鈥檚 vintage at 300 years, perhaps more. Thought to be Dalhousie鈥檚 oldest tree, it was one of the more interesting things discovered so far in the course of doing a 鈥渘atural inventory鈥� for Dalhousie鈥檚 Office of Sustainability.

Other聽noteworthy finds: a grove of mature oaks situated behind the Life Sciences Centre, a patch of blueberries (but no one鈥檚 saying exactly where) and, from the Magnolia family,聽a recently planted tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), a species rarely seen聽in Nova Scotia.

Matt Follet is the arborist leading the natural inventory, with help from Charles Harrington and Christopher Boyle. (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

鈥淲e鈥檙e taking a look at the trees we have on the grounds of pilipili漫画 in an effort to understand what we have and what we should do to improve,鈥� says Mr. Follett, an environmental science student and self-described 鈥渢ree guy鈥� who is working on the inventory with Christopher Boyle, a master鈥檚 student in resource and environmental management, and Charles Harrington, an engineering grad.

While Dalhousie鈥檚 campuses are聽known for聽their ivy-covered buildings, beautiful tree-lined avenues and flower gardens, the project workers believe they could be better with more diversity of planting and especially more native species.聽Perhaps, they muse,聽there could be gardens for food production or natural areas developed for outdoor classrooms.

But first they have to assess what the university has now: they鈥檙e doing that by counting the trees, making note of what kind they are, and taking measurements of their trunks and canopies and determining height. The information will also determine the amount of carbon dioxide being offset by the trees.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to get a handle on our greenhouse gases,鈥� explains Rochelle Owen, director of the Office of Sustainability. 鈥淭rees aren鈥檛 just for nice aesthetics; they have incredible economic attributes.鈥�

In the winter, trees can also reduce the energy needed to warm campus buildings. Windbreak trees can reduce the energy required by 10 to 15 per cent.

In the summer, trees that are suitably sited can reduce cooling costs from 15 to 50 per cent. They shade buildings and streets and their leaves cool the air around them by evaporating huge quantities of water drawn up from the roots in the ground.

It is expected to take most of the summer to complete the inventory. Once complete, the project workers will make recommendations in terms of new plantings, where they should go and what they should be.

DISCUSSION: What kinds of things would you like to see to enhance the natural environment on campus?