In brief
A cherished sugar maple succumbed to disease, but now it finds new life through Pennsylvania wood turner Corey Snyder's craftwork, transforming its remains into beautiful art pieces.
On October 16, 2024, Daryln Brewer Hoffstot of western Pennsylvania shares the poignant story of the sorrow and eventual transformation of an aging sugar maple on her farm. The tree, which predates the family’s 36-year residence, stood as a 160-year-old sentinel, its quirky split trunk and sprawling branches adding character to the landscape. Over recent years, the maple faced increasingly harsh climates—warmer summers, milder winters, excessive rain, and drought—that accelerated its decline with the Armillaria fungus. As with other ailing trees on the farm, the sugar maple gradually weakened. A sudden collapse of its limbs prompted the painful decision to remove the tree, but Corey Snyder, a local wood turner, salvaged its remains. Preserving the tree’s memory, Snyder transforms the maple’s branches into elegant wood pieces, ensuring a legacy that blends the past with newfound artistic beauty.
