Gathering on the Clarence Darrow Bridge Oct. 18 '03. Doug Anderson, tour guide, is at far left.

View to Wooded Island from the Darrow Bridge. Osaka Japanese Garden is cleared-appearing shore edge left.

The stump of a massive Green ash southeast of Darrow Bridge, snapped off by the July 5, 2003 storm.

Views in Osaka Garden. Here looking across the lower pool to the Tea Pavilion. In the next, the small willow reminds one of the many black willows planted on the lagoon shore by the Olmsted's, 1892 and 1905.

Note (ctr.) 1892 Japanese lantern south of Tea Pavilion.

View eastward from Osaka to a restored lagoon island and the east shore of the east lagoon.

The expansive lawn on the spine of the island, across the road from the Tea Pavilion (south of which a Silver maple tree and another were blown down). On this lawn the Ho-o-den (Phoenix Temple) of 1893 stood. Several trees were lost here in the storm, including the last horse chestnut and last White oak. .

Left: a great bur oak aged at 204 years, stripped of some branches. Right: near the center of the island, east of the east road/path with several trunks from previous fells and the storm.

Arriving at the remains of the toppled and snapped Oldest Oak, aged at 273 years. Between the east and west roads. Other views. The tree was blown and sprawled eastward, covering about a third the width of the island at that point. Hence, difficult to take as a whole.

In life the tree stood 65 feet high and 90 feet wide, girth 3 and a half feet. The tree will stay in place as a memorial and allowed to eventually replenish nature and maybe "nurse" new oaks.

This American linden (basswood) was snapped off and otherwise stripped bare. The trunk will be left as a nesting and perching snag for birds, particularly raptors. Below, left is an undamaged basswood which, at least now, consists of five enormous slanted trunks emerging from the ground. Normally, basswood is one of the most straight and stately of trees. Bees frequent its flowers.

In a clearing surrounded by oaks on the broad south end of the island, north of the South Bridge and south of the 'Rose Garden'. Some storm damage is visible. Below, in the clearing is a line of oaks that may have sprouted from an ancient nurse log hundreds of years ago.

Tour conclusion , in the clearing, with words by Doug, Jay Mulberry for Hyde Park Historical Society, and Ross Petersen of Jackson Park Advisory Council.