Anne Howsare Boyens knew it was time for an extraordinarily large tree outside her office at Building 1 on the DMACC Urban Campus to come down.
About an hour after a student had gotten up from sitting underneath the tree, a large branch came crashing down. Howsare Boyens, provost for DMACC Urban Campus, notified a tree service that same day. “It’s time to go,” she said of the tree, which she learned happens to be an invasive species known as a Tree of Heaven. 

Besides being a threat to shade-seeking students and passers-by, the tree was a threat to native plant species because it is a prolific seed producer, grows rapidly, and can overrun native vegetation. It also produces toxins that prevent the establishment of other plant species.

After a recent morning observing the tree service crew at work, “I have a newfound respect for the people who take down trees,” she said. The tree will be replaced with a native species.