By Cheryl Dunson

I subscribe to a site called Wordsmith.org and each day I receive a new word. I thoroughly enjoy receiving a word each day and learning of its etymology and usage. A recent word was one that I knew too well: arboricide. According to the site, the earliest documented use was in 1899 and it is derived from Latin: arbor- for tree and -cide for killing, ie, killing a tree.

Sometimes the killing of a tree is intentional and other times it is not. In all cases, you cannot “unchop” a tree. Even dead trees – as long as they don’t pose a hazard to property and people – can be beneficial, for example, as a nesting or food source for wildlife as well as source of artistic appreciation. Has anyone seen the beautiful carved eagle at St. Mary’s/Putnam cemetery created from a dead tre

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