When Treaty Oak was intentionally poisoned in 1989, an international outpouring of help, prayers, and gifts pulled the centuries-old tree through the crisis. But not before it was disfigured by dead limbs that had to be cut away. Through the efforts of John Giedraitis, Austin's City Forester, the amputated branches live on through works of art. Valued at $250 per foot, the branches, ranging from three feet in diameter to pencil size, have been sold to artisans with the funds going to support the free distribution of trees to neighborhoods throughout Austin. P.S. Look for an exhibit of all the items left at Treaty Oak, from chicken soup to crystals, at the Austin History Center beginning around the first of September.
