Our Tree

[Dr Brain G Baillie]

Dear Professor Jim,
Thank you for your email. As both an alumnus and former teacher of HKU, I do recall with great affection the tree to which you refer. I share your love of trees, and so am saddened that this treee must be removed. Can you please do whatever you can to ensure the replacement(s) is/are trees native to HK or at least the region.
Thank you.
Best wishes
Dr. Brian G Baillie

[CY Jim]

[CY Jim]

[will]

Dear Professor Jim

Is it possible to make use of the wood of Candlenut Tree to make some side products like chairs, tables etc?
It can act as a kind of memorial for this precious landmark in our campus

Will

[jojoba]

Dear Dr Jim,

Having listened to the feelings aired by the sister of the HKU freshman-to-be who was struck dead by the tree in Stanley in the CR 1 morning radio shows in these couples of weeks, it was especially sad to see the Candlenut tree, one of the icons in HKU campus, has to be sacrificed in order to keep us safe before any more life-costing tragedies occur.

Could you explain to us why the tree was infected with fungi? Is it because of its bad health due to the bad environment or surrounding as everywhere nearby is concrete or cement? I'd also like to ask if there are any measures to be implemented so as to ensure the new tree that would be planted and grow tall in the open space would grow healthy ever after and keep immune from hazardous fungi infection that will cost its or others' lives again? As the environment in HK has become worse and unhealthy for growth of trees, I do worry many more big old trees would need to be pulled down like 'Our Candlenut tree'.

I also find quite a couple of schools in HK have tall big old trees within their campuses. They would also pose a deadly threat to the school children running around under them.

Jojoba
Fac Ed

[Paul LAU]

Dear Prof. Jim

Thank you for the clarification.

Paul LAU
BSc (Surv) 1998

[CY Jim]

[Paul LAU]

Dear Prof. Jim

I am a layman in Arboricultural. From the photos in the gallery, I can't see any internal cavity and I query if the tree is really so unhealthy and if there is really "high risk of sudden collapse". The tree sections look so intact. Anyway, as it has already been felled, I would suggest to utilize the tree trunk as some kind of garden seating and garden table (like those selling in G.O.D.), so that we all can touch and remember this iconic campus landmark in future.

Paul LAU
BSc (Surv) 1998

[Kei Mo Kit]

Kindly re-direct my thanks to Professor Jim for the timely info and the lovely photo of the cassia javanica.

Kei Mo Kit

[Laura]

Dear Prof. Jim,

Thanks very much for your and Estates Office staff's hard work for trying to keep the tree, which is part of our memory in HKU. My feeling is just like losing an old friend.... I just wonder if it is possible to retain any little healthy trunk from the tree and plant it elsewhere, so that the live of tree can last?

I wish the new tree will grow up healthily, bringing HKU to a new decade.

Laura Ngai
BEng 2000