Buried Village poplar trees facing the chop

The Buried Village's towering poplar trees were born out of devastation - now they are the ones causing damage and they have to come down.

Owner Pam McGrath said the straight rows of about 35 trees sprouted from poplar fence posts used by missionary Reverend Seymour Mills when he created a model English village at the site more than 126 years ago.

"After the Tarawera eruption [in 1886], the fence posts started to sprout because of the fertile, volcanic mud."

It is a story that fascinates visitors to the attraction, but the ageing trees have become dangerous and a number of large branches have fallen during high winds recently causing significant damage. "On really windy days, we have to close the park to visitors for safety reasons."

The implement shed and the roof of the blacksmith's forge were destroyed last year and the recent storm brought a large limb down on the house that used to belong to the barman at McCrae's Hotel, where tourists would stay to visit the famous Pink and White Terraces before the eruption.

So Mrs McGrath and the team have taken the tough decision to shut the park for a couple of days to have the trees removed, although the museum will remain open. They hope to sell the logs for export and some of the branches for pulp and she said there were plans to keep some memento so the tale of the fence-post trees could still be told.

"We will definitely plant other trees in their place - they are home to pigeons, tuis and other native birds, so it is a shame they have to come down."

Aspen poplars are also commonly known as cottonwood trees and Mrs McGrath said that in December they would drop pods that burst open to release a cotton wool-like material.

"It was like it had been snowing."

She said they were also attractive in autumn when the leaves changed colour, but the maintenance team would not miss clearing up the fallen leaves.

Work on removing the aspen poplars is expected to start early next week.

Email: julie.taylor@dailypost.co.nz