After winter storms kill palm trees, rushing to remove them could ruin Austin bat habitats Mike Marut
Replay Video UP NEXT We could say, roughly, there may be 14,000 or 15,000 palm trees in the greater Austin area, and again, I m a little bit more optimistic that maybe not up to 90% did not die, Lisa Killander, an arborist and project manager with Austin Public Works said. I m thinking now it s going to be less than that.
The freeze also killed thousands of bats in Austin. Austin Bat Refuge founders Lee Mackenzie and Dianne Odegard said they saw at least 4,000 bats fall from under bridges after thawing out. They estimate only 1,200 of them were alive and able to be taken to the refuge s flight cage for rehabilitation. Of those, only about 600 survived. Even fewer are able to get back into the wild again. Odegard is still watching over them in what she calls her field hospital.
Austin set to cut down palm trees after 90% die in winter freezes
Austin to cut down palm trees after 90% die in winter freezes
The city of Austin is urging homeowners to get their own palm trees inspected, as a dead tree can be dangerous during hurricane season.
AUSTIN, Texas - The scenic view of palm trees along the roadways in Austin might soon be no more. We’ll see just how resilient is Mother Nature by just how much will survive. I think it’s prudent to play the waiting game for a little bit but we’re not gonna wait too long, said Lisa Killander, manager of the Austin Public Works Forestry program.
Potentially thousands of Austin s palm trees set to come down Gabriela Vidal
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It doesn t take long to still find remnants of February’s winter storm in Austin.
“We are seeing trees that are greatly delayed in leafing out, or not leafing out at all. We’re seeing palm trees that are still looking like there’s no life,” said Lisa Killander, Forestry Program Manager for the City of Austin Public Works Department.
Now many palm trees in the city could soon be coming down because of storm damage. It is part of the city s plan to remove vegetation along streets, sidewalks, and other public lands that could become dangerous and fall if left untreated.
Photo by John Anderson The bats were just like the rest of us – totally unprepared and caught by surprise. They lost power in their homes, too.
Humans weren t the only residents hurt by the great freeze in February. When Austin s beloved bats returned from their annual hiatus, they were greeted by a rare Texas winter storm that injured and killed an unfortunate percentage of the population. Frozen bats started to fall out of their roosts in local bridges when the cold finally retreated, and the battle to save these valuable members of the ecosystem began.
The recovery of any local bat in need typically rests on the shoulders of the
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