I was willing to consider two trees falling on campus in the last few weeks bad luck.
But with another rash of uprooted timber over at Duke University, I’m beginning to get suspicious.
One tree blocked traffic on Duke’s West Campus, and pedestrians and motorists reported almost being hit by other falling trees.
Here at UNC, two students were hit on Nov. 2 by a large pin oak near Mitchell. And a second tree fell Wednesday, breaking a classroom window in the process as an obvious act of protest.
Many of the falls have been attributed to old age or the bad weather. But I’m not so sure.
One tree falling is an accident, and two is a crowd. But three could be the start of a tree rebellion that ends up looking like a page out of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.
The New Canaan Advertiser, of Connecticut, reported that Tree Warden John Howe decided to cut down 10 trees as an act of public safety. Maybe UNC and Duke should consider similar measures before things turn ugly.
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