With certificate in hand. Mount Oliiv's A.J. Bullard
poses with his award-winning tree in background.
Mount Olive Tree Holds Title
Of Nation's Largest Dogwood
Perhaps u«> one was more feat lul ol
i lu* Septeinlicr Iuiv ol IIiimh.hu- Fran
ill. in Mount Olive's A.J. Hullard.
Hull. ml. .1 u-iin-cl
57-услГЧ»1с1
dentist
.iihI .iin.iii-iii horticulturist. had just
secured die tide ol "die country's
largest dogwood iree" from American
/’'ousts magazine for a tree lie spotted
near his Wayne Countv home eat Her
ibis year. He was verv concerned that
Fran would come along ami wip<- awav
his record in one blow.
“There were some anxious
uionieiiLs." he recalls.
Hiankfully. Fran only look a rotting
limb with ii and left most ol die tree
unscathed, leaving Hullard happy and
relieved.
Hullard, who maintains a four-acre
orchard ol common and exotic trees at
his Mount Olive home, spotted the 31-
loot-high dogwood in neighboring
Sampson Countv at the Malthis family
ce meters two miles east of (Hinton
while driving along N.C. Highway 2-1 in
July 1995. The cemetery dates hack to
186*1. says Hullard, and some of die
graves of that era arc nearest the tree.
"I had seen the tree bloom in previ¬
ous vears hut had never obseived it up
close." Hullard recalls. "Though not in
bloom then. I knew ii was a dogwood by
its hai k.“
Hullard quickly reported it to
American I'orests. which publishes a
Sat tonal Register
<>/
Big Dees each veal.
'Hie magazine's point system, which
included circumference (II I inches),
height and crown spread (-18 feet),
ciediled Hilliard's dogwood with whop¬
ping total ol 157 points, giving it 28
points more than the North Carolina
record and allowing ii to just
nip the reigning national cham¬
pion of Norfolk. Virginia. In-
three (mints. Tile dogwood is
not only die stale tree in North
Carolina but Virginia as well.
flic title was all official in
April. Hullard was presented an
oflic ial certificate for “his" tree.
“No living person knows the
tree's age-, hut given the* fact
that dogwoods grow slowly, to
attain this si/e ii must he verv
old.” Hullard says. “It appears in
gcHid vigor."
Hullard, who loves a good pun. adds,
“ I his tree has added significance to me
because I am a native of die Rost-born
area of Sampson County with deep
’roots.’"
— Scott Smith
High Hopes For Oiler Habilai
Al Grand father Mountain
l hcie*s a new furrv creature in town
at Grandfather Mountain. Expect this
one* to get a little wet.
Hest known over the years as home to
Mildred the Heal and all ol her honey-
loving friends, the l.invillc-bascd attrac¬
tion founded by Hugh Morton now
boasts a I .OOO-square-foot river otter
habitat centered around a small pond
with two small, scenic waterfalls. A
landscaped viewing area is the vantage
(mint for the otters when out of the
water, while an aquarium window fat di¬
lates viewing llu- otters below the sur¬
face.
Grandfather Mountain already is
home to wildlife habitats featuring
lilac
к
bears, beat cubs, panthers, bald
eagles, golden eagles and white-tailed
deer. Officials there think this may be
the park's most popular one yet. espe¬
cially with kids. The otter exhibit
opened in August.
“This should he the best otter
habitat on the East Coast." says
Wildlife Habitat Manager Eddie
Clark, who visited a half-dozen of
the best otter exhibits in the- region
in preparation for the addition of
otters at Grandfather Mountain.
"We have given them everything
they have in nature: space, water,
places to hide, a variety of terrain, a
sand box to play in and. in winter, a
heated pool that will not freeze
over."
Two 17-inonth-old otters arrived at
Grandfather Mountain in summer
from a breeding farm in Louisiana. The
male. Manico, and female. Oconee,
required many weeks of adjustment to
their new surroundings, being watched
closely because of the otter’s reputation
as a savvy escape artist.
“Otters are known to be able to jump
higher than five feet." says Dwight
Holland, the former dircctoi of the
North Carolina Zoo in Ashcboro who
designed the new exhibit, “but we gave
this habitat a full six feet of what we
hope arc 'un-climbable' walls."
I lolland l>elieves the otter habitat will
quickly liecome the most popular fea¬
ture on Grandfather Mountain and says
visitors are in for a treat when they
watch Grandfather's otters through the
aquarium window.
"Wc made the |>ond a full four feet
deep," he says. "It is
deep enough
Гог
them to dive and long
enough lor them to
get up some speed
without having to
swim in small circles.”
Although their
playful personalities
have earned river
ottets a reputation ;is
some of nature's most
charming creatures,
they are actually very
afraid of people and
cannot Ik- handled,
even with heavy
leather gloves.
Kids like Derek (left) and Joshua Pinkerton of Wilkesboro
are enjoying Grandfather Mountain's new river otter exhibit.
Our Slatc/Novembct IW6
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