Miscellany: Big Tree Park

Big Tree Park is an interesting little spot in Seminole County, Florida. It was once the home of "The Senator," a 3,500 year old bald cypress tree that had been a landmark and tourist attraction since the 1800s.

I say "once was" and "had been" because The Senator was destroyed by arson in 2012 (giant historic trees are, weirdly enough, common targets for crime). The remains of the great tree are encircled by a black fence, a mute reminder of man's capacity for senseless destruction.

Not all was lost, though. A smaller and younger companion tree, "Lady Liberty," still stands in the park. If you catch it just right in the fading light, you really do get a sense that the tree is timeless, and that there are some living things that are (thankfully) beyond our ken.