The synergy between Maine and its birch trees includes the use of birch for toot

Authors

Rebecca Sawyer-Fay

Source

Down East

Date

10-1-2007

Pages

80-83

Abstract

The synergy between Maine and its birch trees includes the use of birch for toothpicks, spools, and clothespins; indigenous people's use of the bark for canoes and wigwams; and the tree's beauty as an inspiration for artists and gardeners. Arborist John Tooley says the crowns of some native birch are thinning and dying, in part due to the '98 ice storm and the drought of 2000. Birch borers are drawn to and can kill a stressed tree. The tree is also relatively short-lived and susceptible to pollution and root compression from traffic.

Subjects

Birch-bark canoes, Birch

Recommended Citation

Sawyer-Fay, Rebecca, "The synergy between Maine and its birch trees includes the use of birch for toot" (2007). Maine News Index - Down East Magazine. 3480.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/news_downeast/3480