By Dan Tortorice and Janet Battista
Friends of Lake View Hill Park

In the galaxy of tree species, the white oak tree is a true superstar. Lake View Hill Park, in the middle of the Northside, has a lot of them scattered throughout the woods.

A good place to see some is on the path leading to the small chapel just north of the pollinator garden. These trees are true remnants. They sprang from acorns long before the park was created or even the building of Lake View Sanatorium.

The age of white oaks can be counted in centuries rather than years. Indigenous peoples used them for food in the form of their less-bitter acorns, basket making and medicines to treat wounds. In our own times, they can be a powerful ally in the fight against climate change. White oaks have a root system that can be several times the size of their canopies, so their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon will prove invaluable in the coming decades.

Meanwhile, they provide food and shelter to many species of insects, birds and animals. If you’re lucky enough to see the spectacular sight of wood ducks perched high up on trees in the park, it might be because of the white oaks nearby.

The Friends of Lake View Hill Park are taking action to propagate and protect young white oaks in the park. Local volunteers planted and caged about 100 white oaks last year. The saplings came from a remnant tree located near Watertown, so their genotype is local to our area. These saplings need protection from a large, hungry deer herd, and possibly emergency watering in future years.

White oaks need 4–6 hours of sunlight in order to grow. That is why local volunteers will be working with Dane County to thin the forest canopy and remove invasive species from the understory. If we assist these trees now, they provide a huge dividend to future generations.

Learn more about the park at lake
viewhill.org or find us on facebook@lakeviewhill.