HOUSTON TREE MASSACRE BODY COUNT 
For full effect, Trees for Houston executive director Barry Ward counts the number of local trees expected to die and be removed over the next 2 years because of the recent drought: 66 million. (Okay, but how many of them will we get to carve up for mermaid and doggie sculptures?) That’s 10 percent of the greater Houston area’s branch-bearing population right there. At Memorial Park, 400 of approximately 1,000 close-to-dead trees have already been removed. More fun urban deforesting facts: Already, more trees have been destroyed by the drought than by Hurricane Ike. [Culturemap; watering hints] Photo: Houston Tomorrow
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What’s worse is the toll on wildlife in the forests north of town. We don’t see the toll or hear about it.
I have estimated about 50% of our hardwoods will die in The Woodlands, without watering supplements. Otherwise, 20-30% will die. Pines will have a much lower casualty initially but are threatened by post season bugs as a result of a weak resistance after the heat passes.
Don’t forget that Houston is at the center of the North American Flyway for migratory birds. They have already started to come through and are finding little to eat or drink. Bird feeders and bird baths are very important to help the migrants on their way. Hummingbirds are especially vulnerable because they burn off energy very quickly and can die if there isn’t a ready source of nectar near by. 4 cups water, 1 cup sugar, boiled and cooled will make great hummingbird nectar.
Also, in the months/seasons ahead, we can encourage re-growth of our forests by eliminating the non-natives which may bounce back faster, taking resources.
Or, just welcome the arrival of the Houston Metroplex Great Ant Farm Desert.
I dunno.
I hate to imagine what a good tropical storm or hurricane will do to all the stressed trees if it came thru in the next few months.
Forget the drought. How about the bulldozers at the 610/290 interchange? It took out quite a few trees overnight!
Really, really sad. Not much else to say.
Ms Cleo:
I was scratching my head about that as well. Maybe it’s for the 290 expansion? Looks quite different now.
If we start losing all the old oaks, it’s going to be horrendous. I’m with Lou and Old School. I saw the hummingbirds working the few flowers that are left in the backyard this morning. They’re here and hungry. Also, I’ve never before seen so many lizards and squirrels pop down out of the trees for a drink while I’m watering. Keep those bird baths replenished.
The other day I watched as a squirrel dug out a spot at the base of a smallish red oak in my front yard. I must have been about 10 or 12 feet from him. After he got it just as he wanted, he splayed out belly down in the depression he had created.
I wondered if it was cool to his stomach, or what would make him do that.
He didn’t seem to care about me. Was not the least bit frightened.
Seems like there is a typo. That means there are 666 million trees in the Houston area?
We have hummers at our feeder, which is in the shade, and those guys are usually very territorial. I saw three of them perched there together this week without any quarrels. I guess a shaded perch is something to share in this heat. I swear they were panting – beaks open and those long tounges shooting out trying to catch some air!
This morning I saw a frog on the back sidewalk, near the grass. He wasn’t sqashed or anything. He just looked dehydrated… I thought he was alive at first, but it was dead
Birds ARE panting. I saw a bluejay wallowing up to his neck in a sprinkler’s puddle. They are truly desperate. I’m putting out large plastic plant saucers (new) with ice water in them & the birds are loving it. And the saucers can go in the dishwasher.
Time to build desalinization plants!