Resilient at 70, but no borer match

LINCOLN — Ansel Ash is the tall, dark and handsome type, though quite reserved.

But when it comes to online networking, the 70-year-old is incredibly social. After only three months on Facebook, he has more than 1,000 friends.

The average Facebook user has only 130.

But Ansel isn't a typical Facebooker. He's a green ash tree on the East Campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He never logs on to the Internet, so his page is managed by friends with the Nebraska Forest Service and ReTree Nebraska, a cooperative that promotes trees.

Because Ansel doesn't do interviews, page manager Eric Berg of the Nebraska Forest Service spoke on his behalf.

Berg said Ansel gains from 50 to 100 new friends every two weeks.

Ansel got the idea to go on Facebook from Penny Oak, a tree buddy who lives in Loose Park in Kansas City, Mo. The Heartland Tree Alliance helped Penny start a Twitter page, which has about 130 followers.

Berg said Ansel's Facebook page was created Sept. 7 to increase awareness about emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is killing trees. The pest originated in China and traveled to the United States in the mid-1990s, he said.

“Ansel is probably going to die when emerald ash borer gets here,” Berg said.

The Facebook page is a way for Ansel to raise awareness about his predicament. He offers advice on how to treat an infestation and how to choose new trees that are less susceptible to disease.

Berg said his original hope was that Ansel could make 200 friends by January, if the page was well-promoted.

But Ansel has taken on a life of his own, Berg said. Now the Forest Service and UNL administrators are discussing the possibility of putting up a sign to identify Ansel to visitors, he said.

Savvy campus visitors already can spot him easily: He is the largest, most majestic tree near the main south entrance to the East Campus, near the Dairy Store.

Berg, a community manager for Nebraska Forest Service, said he has come to think of Ansel as an individual with a personality.

“I drive by him every day when I go home and I say ‘Well, see you tomorrow,' '' Berg said. “I put myself in Ansel's place. When there's sleet, snow or cold rain, I think about him being out there in the weather.”

Berg said he has found other people who have the same feelings about special trees. He speculates that that's why Ansel's page is so popular.

“Sharing information from your tree's perspective — that seems to resonate with people,” he said. “How many people have a tree as a friend on Facebook?”

Although he's 70, Ansel has connected with an audience that ReTree Nebraska and the Nebraska Forest Service had been struggling to reach: teenagers, college students and UNL alumni, Berg said.

Ansel also has friends in high places. Bob Kerrey, former U.S. senator and Nebraska governor, is one. Ansel's list of Nebraska friends also includes U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, State Auditor Mike Foley and State Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha.

Berg said Ansel invited many community leaders to become his friends in an effort to widen his network.

Ashford said he accepted Ansel's invitation because he thought the page was an interesting way to learn more about trees.

“It's great being friends with a tree, especially being in politics,” Ashford said. “Trees are usually pretty resilient and tolerant. It's great to have a tree to bounce ideas off of. They don't talk back.”

Ansel's profile includes photos, information on growing trees and links to other interesting Web pages.

Even though Ansel can't speak, he does respond to those who post comments or computer links. He also has become a fan of others' Facebook pages.

Said Ashford: “You can learn a lot by just talking to a tree, actually. They're very wise.”

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