Big tree searchers Byron Carmean and Gary Williamson visited Stadium Woods April 6 to see the new state champion choke cherry, as well as look for other notable trees in the area. The two naturalists, whose discoveries have resulted in the purchase of no less than three natural areas in Virginia, found the woods to be remarkable for the height of its canopy, and its strategic importance to migrating birds. Carmean, a VT alumni, commented he had never seen a white oak canopy as big, with as many trees, as in Stadium Woods. Williamson, a retired park naturalist, noted the role the woods would play as a stopover place for migrating birds, something the surrounding urban area could not provide. Both men have joined the Friends of Stadium Woods in their call to build the athletic facility elsewhere.
