They were majestic. Now they’re kindling.
Tropical Storm Irene knocked down two giant 200-year-old oaks in Bowne Park in Queens that once towered over the family farmhouse of 19th-century Mayor Walter Bowne.
The trunk diameters of the massive trees near 158th Street were 64 and 72 inches, according to the city Parks Department. They were about 80 feet tall.
“They are invaluable. You can’t replace them,” said Carsten Glaeser, a Queens arborist.
After the storm, the trees were mulched during the cleanup. The Parks Department is looking to honor the fallen behemoths with a plaque or bench after receiving requests from local officials.
The city was flooded with 10,030 calls for tree hazards after tropical storm Irene, more than half of them in Queens, Parks data showed.