A cherry tree that is probably older than many homes in Port Coquitlam could be one of the first to be officially recognized if there is enough community interest in starting a heritage tree registry.
Shay and Geoff Moyer, who have lived in their Robertson Avenue home for nearly 20 years, enjoy their backyard tree and the wildlife it shelters.
But they also believe their 100-year-old tree has special health-giving powers.
"I don't like it to be touched or harmed," Geoff Moyer, homeowner
It was a symbol of hope while they nursed themselves back to health after two serious operations, the couple says.
"It's been both my entertainment and my support," said Shay Moyer, who in 2006 had a double mastectomy to rid herself of breast cancer.
"I don't like it to be touched or harmed," said Geoff Moyer, who had a liver transplant in 2010 and is now recovered.
The tree is enormous, its spreading branches dwarf the Moyers' 900-sq. ft. bungalow, and it has been a home to a crow family for generations, Shay Moyer said. It is also a frequent dining hall for local raccoons, who love to eat its fruit and sometimes get drunk on the cherries.
In spring, the tree is white monolith of blossoms.
In the summer, it drips with deep purple fruit.
And in the fall, it drops a mountain of crisp, brown leaves, creating weeks, if not months, of clean-up work.
The couple's previous health issues may have made them extra sensitive to the tree's future and now they want it listed in a tree registry, although no such catalogue for significant trees exists in PoCo.
But that could change soon because Nancy Furness, a forester and a heritage advocate, is spearheading a drive to get start a tree registry after receiving a nod of approval from the PoCo's Healthy Community Committee.
"We don't really have any formal heritage tree program in place," Furness said. "Because we have such a rich history in PoCo, it seemed like one component was missing."
The idea of a tree registry also has support from PoCo Coun. Mike Forrest, who chairs the Healthy Community Committee, and said it could complement a new heritage registry the city is working on if people want it and are prepared to support it.
"We need the energy and action of those people and find out if there's interest in that," Forrest told The Tri-City News.
To get the project off the ground, Furness is asking people to recommend nominations for a PoCo heritage tree registry and she is starting a Facebook page to share information. "Right now we are just in the midst of gathering the information, getting the stories and documenting them and putting them on paper," said Furness.
Much work needs to be done to set up a registry and decide what constitutes a significant tree and how to protect it. But for now, Furness is looking for recommendations.
If all goes well, the Moyers' gigantic cherry tree could be on one of the first on the list.
A Facebook page has been set up at facebook.com/PocoHeritageTrees
TREE TALK
To nominate a tree, send in a submission to [email protected], including the following information:
• nominator's name and contact information (phone/email);
• location of tree;
• type of tree (species if possible);
• height and circumference;
• significance of the tree.
