[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/fallen-pine.jpg” caption=”Last night’s storm toppled this spruce tree in front of the Psychology Building. Photo courtesy of Barb Rabicki.”]The strong winds produced by last night's storm damaged a number of trees on campus. The storm broke branches, uprooted a spruce tree and split a maple tree in half. Trees on the south side of campus were hardest hit.

“Many mature trees suffered limb breakage, and unfortunately two mature trees were lost,” said grounds manager Barb Rabicki. “A spruce in front of the Psychology Building was completely uprooted, and the prominent mature maple in the parking lot adjacent to the Institute of Applied Health Sciences was split by high winds.”

Rabicki expressed disappointment over the loss of the maple tree, which had undergone extensive arboricultural work over the past few years to preserve it. The tree was pruned to lighten the canopy and rods and cables were installed to improve its structural integrity.

“Unfortunately, trees standing alone in wide open spaces are more prone to suffer storm damage as they are not in natural protected environments such as woodlots, where winds are buffered,” said Rabicki.