Champ inspires artist owner.Dawn and Blair Witherington of Melbourne Beach, Florida Melbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,314 [1]. , are awestruck awe·struck also awe·strick·en adj. Full of awe. awestruck Adjective overcome or filled with awe Adj. 1. by big trees. For years they have leafed through AMERICAN FORESTS' National Register of Big Trees The National Register of Big Trees is a list of the largest living specimens of each tree variety found in the continental United States. A tree on this list is often called a National Champion Tree. , ogling oaks and gazing at giant sequoias; they've even taken side trips using GPS coordinates to locate leafy champs that live in the wild. So when a Florida native Hamelia patens Noun 1. Hamelia patens - handsome shrub with showy orange to scarlet or crimson flowers; Florida and West Indies to Mexico and Brazil coloradillo, Hamelia erecta, scarlet bush, scarlet hamelia (firebush) they planted on their property began to reach past its supposed maximum height of 10 feet, the Witheringtons quickly submitted their tree to the Florida Division of Forestry for verification. They were thrilled when their tree was named a state champ, but even more excited when Florida passed the information on to AMERICAN FORESTS American Forests is a nonprofit conservation organization that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, by physician/horticulturist John Aston Warder and a group of like-minded citizens , who declared their tree the new national champion. Dawn, a freelance graphic design artist and illustrator, was so inspired by the tree's beauty that she created a detailed painting showing some of the many forms of life that find food and shelter in their champion tree. "The painting shows over 30 insects and other critters on the flowers and leaves and hovering about," Dawn said. "It's very true-to-life since at any given time the Hamelia is teeming teem 1 v. teemed, teem·ing, teems v.intr. 1. To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms. 2. with life." The painting is a permanent memorial to a tree that lives life along a section of Florida coast often battered by hurricanes. In 2004 the Witherington's fire-bush was stripped bare by three hurricanes in a row as Charley, Frances, and Jeanne all made their mark on Brevard County. Fortunately, the champion quickly recovered and now looks as magnificent as ever. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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