indicating that the tree was healthy and was therefore a potential candidate for transplanting. The project was on.
National Shade LLC from Houston, Texas was con- tracted to move the tree. Because construction dates for the new community center and entrance road were already set, the tree move needed to take place on specific dates. Fortunately these dates coincided with an early spring that year, allowing the tree to be moved following full leaf-out but before the hot sum- mer weather started.
A 27-inch-DBH (69 cm) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) in Eagan Minnesota, known as the Grandfather Tree, is balled and moved to its new site. The slow move to its new site 800 yards (732 m) away took about four hours.
From the start of this project, we wanted it to be a community-based endeavor, not one that was funded through City budget. Through a chance meeting between Eagan Director of Parks and Recreation Ken Vraa and Kay Brown of the Eagan Foundation, the GFT project found an enthusiastic sponsor who would coordinate fundraising efforts. In a relatively short time, the Eagan Foundation successfully raised the $55,000 needed to cover the cost of the transplant. Donations were received from a wide variety of sources including local businesses, private citizens, and even the 2001 gradu- ating class of Eagan High school. Additional project savings were realized through creative partnerships with cooperators such as donated housing arrangements for National Shade crews, donated labor and use of equip- ment from local contractors, and lunches provided by a local civic-minded group.
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City Trees
