 "Photo: Sophie Gaze")
The life of a unique 80-year-old tree is threatened by construction plans for a new recreational facility next to Campus Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Plants contribute to the physical beauty of the campus, but one particular tree is in danger: the acclaimed Ficus benjamina, also known as the Weeping Fig.
The tree is located between Miller Hall Annex and Campus Center and is in danger as a result of the Campus Center Renovation and Expansion Project. Phase 2 of this project, set to begin in 2010, originally integrated the tree into the construction plans. However, recent updates to the plans have altered the construction to place a recreation center building directly on top of the tree’s location.
A number of people and organizations are against this change. They include the UH Landscape Advisory Committee, which is made up of faculty and staff of the university; the Outdoor Circle, a citizens’ group involved in issues concerning the local public environment; and one very determined botany major and horticulture minor named Adam Williams, who has started a petition to save the tree.
Joseph Rock, the first botany professor at UH Mānoa, planted the Weeping Fig roughly 100 years ago, Williams said, and it was acknowledged as part of the Joseph Rock Heritage Collection in 1957. Twenty acres of land were allocated to Rock to plant trees on campus, and he contributed about 500 species. Many of them, such as the Okari nut tree and the Weeping Fig, are considerably rare. There are eight others at the Lyon Arboretum, according to Itsuno
“Well, have you seen the tree? It is, in short, one of the most beautiful and rare trees at the university and beyond, with immeasurable aesthetic value,” Williams said. “And we don’t even need to mention the ecosystem services provided by such a massive tree … Shade, carbon sequestration, oxygen production and a pleasing sight that greatly enhances the campus environment.”
Some of the funding for the project comes from student registration fees, Williams said. Williams is dedicated to saving the Weeping Fig and is collecting signatures for a petition as part of his effort. The petition is not opposed to the construction of the recreation center but says the work should go forward without harming the tree.
The Campus Center Renovation and Expansion Project Web site says that the goals of the construction are to “respond to student needs, enhance the student experience, and provide for a more vibrant university campus life.” The Web site also says that Phase 2 of the project will include “two multipurpose courts, a fitness center, two multipurpose studios, locker and shower rooms, a jogging track, and storage and laundry spaces.”
“We empathize with the concerns expressed over the loss of valuable historic landscaping, in particular the magnificent Ficus benjamina var. Comosa. We understand the appreciation for its beauty and its contribution to the Manoa experience,” said Andrew Itsuno, the president of the Campus Center Board. “We have not taken this issue lightly and have made it a priority to analyze and research options. The planning and design team for this project reviewed alternative locations and for various reasons, this site was considered the best option.”
Meanwhile, the UH Landscape Advisory Committee (LAC) opposes the construction plans for Campus Center, not only for the sake of saving the Weeping Fig, but also to protect the overall landscape and scenery of upper campus.
“The eclectic buildings are tied together by the landscape,” said Richard Criley, professor of tropical plant and soil sciences and member of the LAC.
Itsuno also said that the board is trying to compensate for the loss of landscape.
“We have retained an arborist to develop a landscape preservation plan which includes retaining or relocating as many existing tees elsewhere on campus. Trees that cannot be saved will be replaced with new trees elsewhere on campus,” Itsuno said. “In addition, a large part of this project emphasizes the interactions with landscaping and the natural environment as reflected in its design. We have a landscape architect who is part of our design team.”
The Outdoor Circle has also joined the discussion. The Circle, an environmental group concerned with local public areas, particularly in matters involving trees, wrote a letter to UHM Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw stating their opinion on the subject.
“It is the kind of treasure that should be preserved and protected, not chopped down to make room for a building for which a much better site is available,” the Circle said in the letter. “Hurrying this project because of a ‘spend it or lose it’ mentality is a recipe for regret that will linger on the Mānoa campus forever.”
Despite the efforts of these two organizations and the proposals of other building locations for the recreation center, Phase 2 of the Campus Center Renovation and Expansion Project will continue, Williams said. Nevertheless, he still wants the university to know that not everyone supports the removal of the tree and he has signatures to prove it.
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For more information on his petition, e-mail Williams at adammw@hawaii.edu
More information on the project can be found at hawaii.edu/campuscenter/renovation.
A Kamaaina Tutu