Trending: Fallen Giant Monterey Cypress Tree to Have a Second Life at the Tunnel Tops

In January 2019, we sent a giant cypress tree was sent to a mill in Marin so it could have a second life as hand-crafted picnic tables, chairs, and benches at the future Tunnel Tops site. The enormous tree – 90 feet long and six feet across – had fallen naturally during a winter storm. According to our Presidio Forestry team, it was one of the biggest trees they’d ever seen in the park, and possibly up to 130 years old.

While the tree was being packed up and sent to the mill to become lumber, Joe Rosato from NBC Bay Area interviewed the Presidio’s Chief Park Development & Visitor Engagement Officer Michael Boland about the tree’s “second act” welcoming visitors to the 14-acre landscape overlooking the Main Post and Crissy Field. The sustainable practice of using reclaimed wood as park furnishings puts the Tunnel Tops project on track to earn a “Bay Friendly Landscaping” rating –given to projects that go above and beyond to create healthy landscapes that create habitat, reduce maintenance, save energy, and reduce waste.

Watch the Story “Fallen Presidio Tree to Live on in New Park” on NBC Bay Area >>​​