Actions

John Muir Giant Sequoia finds new home in downtown Boise

Posted at 6:10 PM, Jun 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-26 00:06:48-04

Idaho's largest Giant Sequoia has found a new home at Fort Boise Park. Crews worked close to twelve hours pushing the ten-story tall four-ton tree on rollers. Spectators watched as they worked all night and into the afternoon.

"I never imagined they could move a tree this large and as simple as it seems to be," said one onlooker.

The tree's new home is twelve hundred feet away from where it was first planted in 1912. St. Luke's donated the tree to Boise Parks and Recreation paying close to $300,000 to get the job done to make way for their downtown campus expansion.

"We got irrigation and drainage to put in and I'm even going to put in a little misting system up in the canopy of the tree for these hot days I didn't realize it got this hot in Boise," Said David Cox of Environmental Design, the company who was contracted to move the tree.

While this Giant Sequoia has been in the City of Trees for over a hundred years, Its roots can be traced back to the famous naturalist John Muir.

"It has been a wonderful heirloom for our family and a landmark for Boise," said Mary Grandjean.

As a seedling, John Muir gave it to Mary Grandjean's grandfather who donated it to the hospital, she's happy to see it still has a life as the tree switches hands one more time.

"I have to say that I'm completely amazed at this enormous engineering feet," said Grandjean. "On behalf of my family, we're so grateful that the tree was so well cared for."

Boise Parks and Rec. Will now have the tall task of taking or the tree. They along with the experts who moved it will be monitoring it closely for the next five years.

"This tree is going to be struggling for a little while that's why we have to be very careful about how much water we give to it we want to make sure it gets an enough but not too much," explained Brian Jorgenson of Boise Parks and Rec.

Experts say if all goes well, the tree could be around for 400 years.