Lynnfield Tree Committee

Remember the "Firefly Nights" of youth? Miss them? Wonder where they went? Well...fireflies, like all wildlife, have suffered as a result of development and loss of habitat. As individual property owners, we're responsible too for protecting their habitat and here's how! Also, please admire their light shows from a distance! They are doing real work out there and capturing them is distracting and energy zapping!

After a period of burnout, I realised that nature knows what you need, and is always ready to offer it – you just have to be quiet enough to receive it

Here is our response to a recent Letter to the Editor by Mark Scollard.

"The Lynnfield Tree Committee deeply respects the sacred nature of our town’s War Memorial, the immense volunteer effort that went into building it, and the families of the veterans honored there. We share the community's goal and support ensuring this monument remains a beautiful, lasting tribute; however, we would like to clarify the facts regarding recent plantings and municipal oversight as discussed in Mark Scollard’s recent letter to the editor.

First, regarding the newly planted Liberty Elm in front of the memorial: this tree was planted as part of Lynnfield’s 250th anniversary celebration. Far from being an attempt to obscure the monument, the Liberty Elm is a historic, disease-resistant cultivar specifically chosen for its upright, stately growth pattern. It is a traditional American heritage tree meant to honor the space. This tree, placed by an arborist to assure a long life, is a previously agreed upon replacement street tree for that location.

Second, the author questions why the Tree Committee did not attend the original memorial planning meetings. The answer is simple: the area directly behind the memorial falls under the legal jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission as a regulated wetland buffer zone. The Tree Committee would have had no reason to attend those meetings if the project coordinators had followed established rules and submitted the mandatory planting plan to the Conservation Commission for approval before unilaterally putting trees in the ground. Mr. Scollard’s assertion that “every step in the process was done by the book” regarding the planting of these trees is patently false because that required process was entirely bypassed.

It is worth noting the irony of invoking every veteran and veteran family member as outraged over the issue of the Memorial trees. Veterans, perhaps more than any other group, understand the importance of following rules, respecting established processes, and operating within a chain of authority. That culture of discipline is central to military service. Yet it was the planting of Bradford Pears done in connection with this very memorial that ignored the required approval process, bypassed the Conservation Commission’s jurisdiction, and proceeded without a mandated planting plan as is required by everyone else planting within this critical wetland area. If there is a lesson about rules and respect to be drawn here, it points in a different direction than the author suggests.

Third, the Bradford Pear trees chosen by the Veterans Committee have been recognized for years as highly problematic and are not a native species. The state’s decision to designate this tree as invasive, which prohibits its sale or future planting, was neither made lightly nor quickly by the overseeing board and recognizes its harmful ecosystem traits. The Conservation Commission has made clear at public meetings non-native species cannot be planted in a wetland buffer zone, so accordingly the Bradford Pears are required by law to be removed. The Commission has selected native red maples as the most appropriate replacement.

The Elm tree planted at the Veterans Memorial is only one of many commemorative trees planted for our 250th celebration and is one of six varieties of native trees that have been planted throughout town in conjunction with the 250th Committee chaired by Joe Connell. We can all thank the Lynnfield Planning Board for the purchase of these trees and the future replacement trees at the memorial so the Veterans Committee will not be burdened by the cost of replanting.

Finally, a matter of transparency: the author of the referenced editorial, Mark Scollard, is the brother-in-law of Joe Connell, the Veterans Committee member who spearheaded the War Memorial project. Readers can decide for themselves how that relationship colors the perspective offered.

Trees have always held symbolic weight in our culture, with those at the War Memorial even more, which is why they should be allowed to remain and flourish alongside our democracy. Our municipal committees exist to ensure that Lynnfield’s public spaces are developed safely, legally, and sustainably. The Tree Committee’s only motivation is to ensure that the landscaping surrounding this magnificent monument is as enduring, dignified, and law-abiding as the sacrifices it represents."

(Pictured: The original plaque where the historic Boston Liberty Tree once stood. This was a famous Elm tree that stood near Boston Common in the years before the American Revolution. In 1765, Patriots staged the first act of defiance against the British government at the tree.)

Help our Wakefield neighbors remove invasive Garlic Mustard from the shores of Crystal Lake at a "pull party" - Sat 5/23 and Sat 5/30, 9am-11am (come for any amount of time). Meet halfway up Sylvan Ave, bring your gloves and water. Bags and instructions will be provided.

Woot woot! The Lynnfield Tree Committee heartily approves of the removal of Bradford pear trees that were planted at the Veterans Memorial without the required permission of the Conservation Commission.

Bradford pears are an invasive species that threaten local ecosystems and are not appropriate for planting near protected areas. In their place, native trees including red maples will be planted; trees that support local wildlife, improve habitat, and are well-suited to the conditions adjacent to our wetlands without posing any adverse environmental risk.

We appreciate the community’s patience and commitment to responsible stewardship of our natural resources. Healthy, native trees mean a healthier environment for all of us.

The Growth Award also reflects a town-wide effort in coordination with other town and local groups. Contributing to this award were Lynnfield’s ongoing tree debris recycling efforts, applications for grants that support land stewardship, publications sent to new homeowners concerning environmental topics, and the continued monitoring of our Tree Bylaw with its special tree protection measures,

Lynnfield has a tree-mendous year LYNNFIELD — For the fourth time, Lynnfield has earned the Growth Award from the Arbor Day Foundation, making it one of 14 cities or towns in Massachusetts to do so for the year 2025. The Growth Award recognizes both major milestones and annual activities that combine to build sustainable community...

A California couple was hit with an almost one million dollar fine after they illegally chopped down 38 trees on their hillside lot.

Landowners who cut 38 trees in Oakland hills hit with $915,000 fine A majority of the City Council said the “egregious” violation of the city’s protected tree law required enforcement.

A branch fell off your oak last fall. You've been meaning to haul it to the curb. It's been on the ground for six months.

In that time, it became an apartment building.

Year one: Fungi colonize the exposed wood. You can see the first brackets forming on the bark — small, shelf-like growths that are breaking down the lignin and cellulose inside. The branch is getting softer.

By year two or three: Beetle larvae have tunneled into the softened wood. Their galleries — winding channels the width of a pencil lead — aerate the interior. Woodpeckers find the branch and drill into it to extract the larvae.

By year five: A red-backed salamander has moved into one of the beetle galleries. She lives in the damp, rotting wood and hunts pill bugs, mites, and springtails on the surface. The branch is now a hunting ground and a shelter.

By year ten: The branch is mostly soil. The fungi, the beetles, the salamander, the woodpecker — they converted a fallen limb into nutrients that are feeding the tree it fell from.

🌿 A different way to see the branch:

- A fallen branch is not debris — it's a building under construction
- If it's not blocking a path, leave it where it fell
- The fungi that colonize it aren't disease — they're decomposers doing their job
- One fallen branch can support more than thirty species over its lifetime

You almost hauled it to the curb. Thirty species are using it now. 🌿

Just off Chesapeake Bay, ecologists John Parker and Justin Nowakowski have been growing mini-forests, experimenting with different mixes of tree species at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. As those plots grow, the scientists are seeing some big differences. Having biodiversity − more than one species − influences everything from the eventual size of trees to the number of insects and birds they shelter.

Don’t just plant trees, plant forests to restore biodiversity for the future The tree mix matters. Near Chesapeake Bay, scientists have been experimenting with mini-forests for over a decade. The surprising results show how biodiversity pays off.