A 25’ by 27’ burlap box was built last week around the tree that Stony Brook Village Center decorated for Christmas last winter. The structure is composed of a wooden frame wrapped in six long burlap sheets held up by plastic ties. It was included as part of a guarantee when Ward Melville Heritage Organization purchased the tree earlier this year.
The Norway Spruce was installed over the summer after the previous Stony Brook Christmas tree died, and this is the first Winter that it will spend next to the saltwater harbor’s harsh winds.
While the tree may appear to be in bad shape at the moment, a spokesperson for the Ward Melville Heritage Organization assures that the spruce is in good health and the burlap structure is just a precaution necessary for a particularly brutal winter. She did not rule out the possibility of a similar structure returning to the Village Center in future years.
The project was funded by private donations to the same organization responsible for the regular gardening and upkeep at the Village Center. Owen Construction, a Baiting Hollow based company, erected the structure.
