11/03/2026
Carving a heart, name or set of initials might seem harmless, but carving into a beech tree removes its protective bark and creates a wound. Wounds can create opportunities for insects and disease-causing organisms to enter.
Why does that matter?
It damages the tree's protective layer.
Bark protects the living tissues underneath. Cutting through it can damage the phloem, cambium and other tissues the tree needs to transport resources and grow.
It creates an entry point for pathogens.
Many fungi that cause tree diseases can enter through wounds. This is particularly important for American beech (Fagus grandifolia), which already faces serious threats from diseases such as beech bark disease (caused by fungal species: Neonectria faginata, Neonectria ditissima and Bionectria ochroleuc).
You're adding unnecessary stress to an already vulnerable species.
American beech is an important part of our forests but beech populations are facing multiple health challenges. A tree doesn't need another wound.
And that's where Leave No Trace comes in.
Leave No Trace isn't just about packing out your trash. It's about minimizing the impacts we have on the places we visit. That means staying on designated trails, leaving plants and other natural features where they are and leaving tree bark intact.
If you want to commemorate a relationship, take a photo, write it in a journal or find another way to make the memory last.
Make your memories here. Don't leave them carved into the trees.
Please enjoy the Preserve, respect the trees and leave no trace. 💚🌳
