Heritage Tree Fundraiser.
We need Support!
We ask for help to recoup the costs of safely taking down Sonoma County Heritage tree #24, hiring local professionals to relocate portions obstructing paths, and fire risk mitigation. Thank you for honoring us with your time and consideration.
The Gardens' long-term future relies on our community and its generous contributions—a validation of our work supporting environmental care and learning through observation.
Please see the article below for more information about the life and future of the heritage black oak.
Looking for other ways to help? We need VOLUNTEERS!
Please visit our volunteer page to fill out our short application, and we will get back to you.
A Pillar of Life
The ancient black oak at Hallberg Butterfly Gardens received certification as Sonoma County Heritage Tree #24 for honoring its age and size. Still, its significance extends across environmental values, human identity, and cultural heritage. In 1997, Louise Hallberg established Hallberg Butterfly Gardens as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Shortly after, in 2000, arborists installed cables in the branches of the heritage oak to keep it from splitting—a figurative "holding together" of the gardens for years to come. A black oak's typical life expectancy is approximately 150 - 200 years. It is rare to see a black oak reach its full potential as they are prone to split following stormy weather. Heritage Tree #24 was estimated to have reached 250 - 350 years old before falling in 2023. The tree would not have reached such longevity without the conjoining efforts of Louise Hallberg’s determination and annual care by local arborists.
Louise spent her entire life living under the canopy of this stunning black oak, inspiring her relentless vitality in protecting the life on the land she grew up. The butterflies and wildlife she loved were all supported by the presence of this leafy garden elder. The acorns provided an incredible food source with long storability essential for the winter survival of many. Complex bark provided habitat for mosses, lichen, invertebrates, and bark-foraging birds such as the white-breasted nuthatch and brown creeper, often seen feasting along the broad trunk and branches. A massive canopy provided shade and temperature regulation, contributing to a stable environment for paths or "flyways" butterflies would frequent each year. Oaks are also a vital host plant (caterpillar food) for many species of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).
The canopy supported unique foraging, mating, nesting, and denning opportunities for many invertebrates, mammals, and birds. From butterflies and moths, including the California sister, red admiral, pipevine swallowtail, tiger swallowtail, mourning cloak, and polyphemus moth, to vertebrates such as great horned owls, acorn woodpeckers, red-shafted flickers, violet-green swallows, and grey squirrels are just a handful of familiar residents observed each year.
An assortment of mushrooms grew in the understory and garden floor—the fruitful result of complex mycorrhizal networks thriving unground in the world of roots.
Every part of this ancient oak connects countless lives and generations. For the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo, black oak is a "cultural keystone" and an integral part of everyday life in their diet, ceremonial practices, and mythology. One can't help but wonder how many mouths a tree can feed in its lifetime.
Older trees often coalesce with life and death, retaining a live canopy while other parts decline and decay. Over the past decade, the center of Heritage Tree #24 slowly deteriorated. On January 7th, 2023, the trunk began to split in multiple locations after an extreme downpour following years of drought. Over the next two days, the splitting continued to widen until the depth of the damage could be measured. Rot within the trunk was also discovered, revealing that the long life of this oak was nearing an end. With the safety risk to the current residing caretakers, the Peterman family, and the potential damage to the neighboring buildings, only one option remained: to professionally fell the tree instead of letting it fall naturally. The oak was laid to rest on January 9th around 5:00 pm. With the consideration of fire risk mitigation, the trunk and branches will continue to be integral to the Gardens as it decays in place. Beginning in February, hiring local professionals and recruiting volunteers will be required to relocate larger sections obstructing the paths. The trails behind the HBG home, “Butterfly Forest,” will walk along and through the fallen tree.
The oak will provide a habitat for a community of decomposers (invertebrates, fungi, bacteria, and many other microorganisms)—critical to soil formation and forest ecology. Woodpeckers and other insectivores (insect eaters) can forage the rotting wood, creating cavities that provide nests and dens for other birds and mammals. One of the arborists who has worked with this oak over the years had said, "A tree will typically take as many years to decay as it is old." A comforting thought that this tree's story is far from over and continues to inspire stewardship between generations.
The Peterman family (Meghan, Evan, Luna, and Linden) extend tremendous love and gratitude for each stage of the oak's lifecycle offering deep wisdom in reciprocal relationships with the land.
Meghan Ashley Peterman
is the Curator of Living Collections
at Hallberg Butterfly Gardens (HBG):
curator.hallberg@gmail.com
A Special Thank you to HBG Board members and Friends of the Gardens for sharing special memories and information to contribute to the making of this article.
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