Everywhere you look there are orange rings around Elm trees. Dutch Elm disease has resurged with a vengeance. Victory Parkway has once again been hit really hard�it was once lined with hundred of Elms and now at least half are gone.

Here�s an excerpt about the history of the disease from a site called ElmCare.com�

Almost 80 years ago Dutch scientists reported the dramatic appearance of a new disease on elms in Holland. The disease quickly became known as Dutch elm disease (DED). It is caused by the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi (sensus lato), and has claimed the life of millions of stately elm trees in Europe and North America. Elms, and in particular the American elm (Ulmus americana), have been an unmistakable cultural and historic landmark of the North American continent. The tree�s tall and majestic growth combines beauty and grace, placing it among the most desirable shade tree in our cities and villages. Planted along boulevards and streets, their crowns span roads and houses providing clean air, coolness during hot summer days and shelter against UV radiation. The New York Times, in a February 26, 1989 article, claimed that a large tree is equivalent to five air conditioning units, playing a very important energy conservation role in our ecosystem.

A few weeks back I stopped counting at something like 75 trees (in a 4 mile radius) that have recently become infected. Growing up on the parkway we used to ride our bikes there, chase the ice cream truck, cut through on our way to Cathecism on Wednesday nights at St. Austin�s and play football on Sundays after the Vikings game. The Parkway is still really beautiful but it makes me sad that there isn�t a tree canopy anymore. I walk the Parkway most days with Sassy. If it�s really hot she will stop walking and spread out on her stomach under the shade of one of the remaining Elm�s. The replacement trees aren�t big enough yet to offer deep shade.

So anyways, yesterday I met another Lorax. Sass and I were walking on �the Drive� as we locals call it and about half a block away I saw a guy crossing the street from his house to �the drive�. He had two 5 gallon buckets of water. He walked to the center of the allee of trees and watered a newly planted tree. I swear to God I almost started crying. I called out to him, �that is so cool that you are looking out for the new trees!� He said that he runs the parkway every morning and thought it was important to give back and that if everyone adopted a new tree we could get the parkway back to the way it was. I think I�m in love with him.