Neighborhood Association on South Lake Worth: Lake Worth Trees

January, 15,,2015

From Wes Culwell

After four years of searching, Lake Worth has produced a State Champion Tree, a black
willow south of Wildwood Park.

Here's other info on the tree: 88' wide' 18' 11" trunk, and 67' tall, south of Wild wood Park in the middle of a large hayfield, easily seen from a distance.

May 2014

From: wes culwell <wes.culwell@yahoo.com>

Subject: Indian marker tree, Arrow S Park

Date: May 6, 2014

Today, I met with the Texas Historic Tree Coalition at the tree. These guys are the only ones qualified in North Texas to do this investigation. They documented the size and took samples for aging.

We talked of the history of the site and where the tree pointed. We concurred that it probably marked a spot in the cattail area where they caught fish when the river was down.

They will put together a report for the Native American Tribal leaders in Oklahoma and then wait 1-2 years sometimes before we know their decision.

Wes

LW Trees

February 2014

From Wes Culwell, February 13, 2014: City Forestry of Fort Worth planted this a 20' tall, 5" trunk Bur Oak at Casino Beach on Lake Worth. This planting here in 2014 is meant to take us into the next century since this Bur Oak will be here long after all of us here today are long gone.

January 2014

LAKE TREES
Master Arborist Wes Culwell presents The Trees of Our Lake. For a preview of the contents, click here for sample pages. The printed version covers Centennial Champion Trees, Historic Trees and the section covering Park and Island Tree Surveys. Purchase price for Lake folks is only $40. For direct orders, contact Wes at wes.culwell@yahoo.com

December 2013

Wes Culwell's Fall Foliage Tour: Click here to see the guide for his 2013 Tour

I've gotten some folks interested in evaluating a tree at Arrow S Park for possibly being an Indian marker tree. Indians would bend trees over and point them to such things as low water crossings, hunting areas, camps, etc. Our tree is up near Cahoba and points beneath the bridge towards the cattail area we see on our right when we cross the bridge.

After a lot of research, I believe that area to have been an oxbow lake, a meander that had been cut off from the main river. This area would catch and hold fish after flooding for easier catching. We have two trees presently on the property, Soapberries, whose berries the Indians used to stun and float fish for eating. I have a good case, but tree age is critical. The Forest Service was unable to bore the tree due to its density. Its growing in rock, could be older than it looks.

November 2013

DATE: Arbor Day & Tree City USA, Fort Worth Texas, November 1, 2013

Local arborist Wes Culwell continues to advocate tree preservation and today his nominations were awarded the Fort Worth Heritage Tree Designations. All of this came together in a celebration held for Arbor Day at the FW Botanical Gardens to honor the CIty's 35th year as a TREE CITY USA.

Here is the list of the trees from our Lake Worth area now bringing the total to 15 trees receiving the coveted designation. Pictures of the event are also shown below. Melinda Adams (City Forester) and well known local historian Quentin McGown are pictured with Wes during the event. Our District 7 Councilman, Dennis Shingleton, provided heartfelt remarks for the event and read the City's Proclamation (http://fortworthtexas.gov/forestry/).

Historic Designations:

George T. Reynolds Live Oak, Arrow S Park

Live Oak School Post Oak, Silver Creek Rd. and Western

Tannahill Live Oak, also a Famous Tree of Texas, Silver Creek Rd. and N. Verna Tr.

Kuteman's Cutoff Bur Oak, West Camp Bowie

The following were designated based on their size in a Metroplex 25 county region:

Blackjack Oak, champion, Casino Beach Park

Sweetgum, champion, Love Circle Park

Arizona Cypress, champion, Watercress Dr.

Western Soapberry, co-champion, Arrow S Park

Tree of Heaven, co-champion, Love Circle Park

August 2013

For a preview of Wes Culwell�s tree list as nominations for 2013 Fort Worth Heritage Trees, click here.

June 2013

Wes Culwell continues to support multiple tree preservation initiatives surrounding Lake Worth. For a copy of his recent proposal to the City for a �Centennial Tree� in celebration of the Lake�s 100 year birthday (2014), and in commemoration of the Fort Worth Parks Department, click here.

April 13, 2013

A plaque is added to the carved Live Oak tree on Heron Drive, Lake Worth.

It reads as follows:

GEORGE WASHINGTON OAK

1750-2012

U.S. President-Father of Our Country-General 1732-1799

This once grand post oak sprouted during the early life of George Washington. After enduring nature's challenges for 250 years, it was removed due to easement issues.

March 31, 2013

From Wes Culwell

The Forest Service informed me that a Western Soapberry, located at Arrow S Park next to the 1924 Swift Co fireplace, has been designated as a DFW Regional Co-Champion. This is only 1 of 2 soapberries that I found at Lake Worth. The Indians used the berries for soap and its still used in Mexico.

Well this now completes our 3 year effort to find the biggest Trees at Lake Worth. Here is Lake Worth's Team of Tree Champions:

-Green Ash, 4th largest in the state

-Arizona Cypress, DFW Reg. Champion

-Blackjack Oak, DFW Reg. Champion

-Sweetgum, DFW Reg. Champion

-Western Soapberry, DFW Reg. Co-Champion

-Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum, DFW Reg. Big Tree

-Arbovitae, DFW Reg. Big Tree

We are continuing to nominate trees for Fort Worth Heritage Trees and should get the results of this years efforts in November.

Click here to see the Lake Worth Team of Champion trees!

March 4, 2013

From Wes Culwell

Quentin M. and I are trying to get three trees added to the Famous Trees of Texas list. Only about 80 trees have received this distinction with only 50+ still alive. There are only two Tarrant County trees on the current list, the Turner Oak at Greenwood Cemetery, and the Traders Oak on Samuels Ave.

By March 15, we will be submitting nominations for the Isaac Parker Oaks in Hurst and the Tannahill Homestead Live Oak at Silver Creek and Verna Trail. The Texas A&M Forest Service will celebrate it's 100 year anniversary in 2015 and has set a goal of increasing the Famous Tree total to 100 by then. We hope to increase Tarrant County's total from 2 to 5 by the end of the year. Our goal by 2015 is to nominate an additional 3-5 trees for Tarrant County.

For the Love of Trees:

February 15th, 2013: Melinda Adams (FW City Forestry) nominated Wes Culwell for THE BRONZE LEAF award at the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council Annual Conference. Mr Culwell was honored for his work with the Lake Worth trees and for the success of the Heritage Tree nominations. The award, itself, is three post oak leaves with two acorns, actual size, and cast in bronze. Beautiful, unusual, heavy. The husband of Fort Worth Nature Center biologist Michelle Villafranca's did the bronze casting of the awards.A silent auction held during the convention also benefitted from the noted art work of Mr Culwell.

His art work of the Tannahill Station Live Oak , Casino Beach Pecan, and George T. Reynolds Live Oak resulted in the highest sales amount for the Organization than any other donor!

In celebration of the beautiful trees located in Fort Worth and other municipalities surrounding Lake Worth, here is a tribute to beautiful trees as reported by the

news article at: http://grizzlydetail.wordpress.com/ This project is the inspiration of local Lake resident, Wes Culwell.

Framed Art works of trees from Wes Culwell (an artist AND an arborist), and also the local CROSS TIMBERS display. The two are jointly working toward the 100th year celebration of Lake Worth (1914-2014). For comments and accolades, contact him at wes.culwell@yahoo.com

From: Wes Culwell <wes.culwell@yahoo.com>

On March 2, 1:30, I will be speaking to White Settlement Historical Society at the White Settlement Senior Center, 8211 W. Settlement Rd. The subject is Historic Trees of West Fort Worth. You're welcome.

It's about 90% sure I will be speaking at the Annual Texas Tree Conference in Waco, Oct 2-4. The subject is Getting Trees Recognized through studies, big tree list, heritage programs, memorial tree sculptures and tree art.

HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS

As noted on the TREES tab on this web site over this past year 2012, Wes Culwell, south Lake Worth shore resident and certified arborist, has been busy extensively documenting historical trees around Lake Worth. At the recent ARBOR DAY Celebration held November 2nd in Fort Worth, 8 of his nominations for historical "HERITAGE TREES" were honored by Parks and City Forester Melinda Adams.
The trees on public property are now mapped and featured on the Fort Worth Forestry website (http://fortworthtexas.gov/forestry): Casino Beach Pecan, Casino Beach Pavilion Post Oak, CCC Camp Post Oaks, & Inspiration Point Live Oak.

Other trees nominated by Wes' project and located on Private Property, also made the list of important Heritage Trees: A G Carter Shady Oak Farm Live Oak, Lake Worth Whiting Castle Post Oak, & LW Castle Cottages Post Oaks.

Below are pictures of the celebratory occasion, November 5, 2012

August 31, 2012: LAKE WORTH TREES OF HISTORIC PLACES

The Fort Worth Heritage Tree nominations have been submitted for consideration by Master Arborist, Wes Culwell. Read the supporting letter for this tremendous effort from local historian, Mr Quentin McGowan. Click here!

July 29, 2012: LAKE WORTH TREES OF HISTORIC PLACES

NASLW is privileged to have a preview on our web site of these fantastic pen & ink drawings courtesy of resident and certified arborist, Wes Culwell (wes.culwell@yahoo.com). While at A&M, Wes expertly honed his skills in �Landscape Artitecture� and we are the most recent beneficiaries. He�s given permission to me to post these copies of his works. He plans to use these for his Fort Worth Heritage Tree nominations in the history section of his upcoming book. As the story about the Trees of Lake Worth continues to unfold, and certainly when the Heritage winners are announced, more announcements will follow on our site later this year (2012). Click here to see the drawings!

May 30, 2012: Update from our south shore resident and certified Master Arborist, Wes Cullwell:

After the completion of a big tree survey of the trees of Lake Worth, Wes has compiled a list of 29 of our biggest trees. He will be nominating these large trees to the DFW Big Tree Registry. This program is operated by the TexasForest Service.  dfw@texastreetrails.org   Login to the website later this year to see our trees on the list.

The Champion Lake Worth tree for each of the following  tree species was nominated :

Pecan    Red cedar   Ash    Black Willow Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum      Red oak      Arbovitae    Black jack oak      Chinkapin oak     Sweet Gum   Mexican plum

He will also nominate 3 Cottonwoods and 2 Gum bumelia who were Co-champions, receiving the same number of points.

On the north side of the lake, there are many large Live Oaks and 7 of them will be nominated. On the south side, we find many large Post oaks and he will nominate 5 of them.

This big tree study at Lake Worth has been very successful and now we will have a good representation of our big trees in the DFW Big Tree Registry.

You can contact Wes for further information at wes.culwell@yahoo.com

Board Certified Master Arborist, Wesley C. Culwell

ISA Certification Program - Arboriculture

Update From Wes Culwell, April 2012

I am in the process of nominating 14 of Lake Worth's most historic trees for Fort Worth Heritage Tree status. These inputs are due by Sept. 1 and the results will be announced on Arbor Day in early Nov. 2012.

I'm going to try to get up to 14 nominations added to the existing 48 FWHT's. That's an increase by a third and all will have to be perfect to get all in. I'm most sensitive on this, my most important of goals.

My recent activity has included 1) a tour of the trees located on the Finley property, historical site of the Amon Carter SHADY OAK ranch (2) promotion of the Historical Sign designation (a work in progress), and (3) Partnering with avid photographer Chuck Garrett to provide pictures for my upcoming book on these marvelous trees .

Anyone with comments can contact me via email at wes.culwell@yahoo.com. Here are examples of the Trees of Lake Worth.

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

More great tree stories from Wes Culwell <wes.culwell@yahoo.com>

Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2012
Over on Peninsula Club, former CCC Camp site, me and a couple of the neighbors identified 3 large post oaks out along Watercress as representative trees of the original historic site. They can be seen in CCC Camp photos. We decided to nominate 1 -3 of the trees for the FW Heritage Tree Program. The only problem was that they were surrounded by a very thick undergrowth of privet. We couldn't see any of the tree trunks. Well Lindy Rose, a P. Club resident, organized a work group of neighbors and with great teamwork they undcovered these mysteries in realitively short order.

The largest post oak, about 250 yrs. old, was a perfect specimen and perfectly shaped. The other two, about 200 and 150 years old, have their trunks covered in these incredibly, large, twisting bulging galls. Our chances now of gaining Heritage Tree status there has been greatly increased. The residents were extremely excited about what they had accomplished and found. Now they have plans on trying to uncover all of their trees if possible. They also are planning some type of tree planting there in celebrating the Centennial.

These neighbors have grouped together and are leading the way on Lake Centennial tree-related projects. Attached are a few pictures of the team in action and the treasures they found

A lso see Wes' Arborist activity--Feb 8th for www.grizzlydetail.com (vol 6, 33)!

THE TREES OF LAKE WORTH SURVEY

Featured Article on Wes Culwell, in the Northwest News

Helping to prepare for the centennial celebration of Lake Worth, and for the preservation of Fort Worth City history, our ownSouth Shore resident, neighbor and certified arborist, Mr Wes Culwell, is working to study and document the trees around the Lake. Over the past year, this certified arborist (owner and operator of HORTICARE ) has surveyed trees in parks as well as unique trees in historical locations. Currently, he is seeking information from anyone who may have relevant stories. Wes may be contacted at: 817 246-8197, or wes.culwell@yahoo.com.