East Hampton is famous for its beautiful trees, especially its 120 surviving elms, and has been ever since Childe Hassam drew and painted a number of iconic images of the village. That the town has any left after the 1938 hurricane and then Dutch elm disease is owing to the efforts of the Ladies' Village Improvement Society, who are tasked with overseeing the health of the village's trees. These days, heavy construction vehicles roaring around quiet lanes are the threat to the local trees. "Street trees," the trees that border the roadside, which belong to the village, are being stressed by the weight of heavy trucks compressing their roots. According to Michael Gaines, an arborist quoted in the East Hampton Star, "Even if the construction is on private property...one trespass on the root zone can have a permanent effect." Respect and care for trees needs to be more widespread to protect the beautiful old stalwarts.
· Tree Patrol [EHStar]
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