A hurricane's silver lining

American Forests, Spring, 2004

Although last fall's Hurricane Isabel was a disaster for trees in the Williamsburg, Virginia, area, it may prove to be a boon for Colonial Williamsburg's new Great Hopes Plantation, which depicts 19th century farm life. Officials from Colonial Williamsburg visited neighborhoods hard hit by the storm, seeking donations of red and white oak to be used for shingles and clapboard, according to an Associated Press story.

Master carpenter Garland Wood said that typically it's difficult to find trees that have the quality of wood needed to accurately recreate 18th century-style buildings and interior woodwork. Trees chosen by Colonial Williasmburg from among those downed by Isabel will be used to help build a planned tobacco barn, kitchen house, and slave quarter.

Wood told AP that he looks for large-diameter, slow-growing trees. In addition to red and white oak, these include longleaf pine and poplar--trees hard to find in that area.

"It was extraordinary how most of these people were attached to these trees," Wood told AP. "They all said, 'We don't want to see them go to the dump and burned up.' They wanted the trees used for something."