Recovering the urban forest: The role of trees,tree culture,and place attachment before and after Hurricane Harvey

Trees can be powerful symbols that contribute to the production and consumption of places. Disaster events, such as hurricanes, alter the physical landscape, causing tree damage and loss. In places with strong tree cultures, the reforestation of damaged landscapes becomes an implicit element of recovery plans; however, less is known about the implications of tree loss to community recovery. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall near the coastal communities of Rockport and Fulton, Texas. Rockport-Fulton, known for its beach tourism, is home to a remnant live oak (Quercus virginiana) forest shaped by coastal onshore winds. Many of Rockport-Fulton’s windswept oaks were damaged or lost along with native and non-native palm trees. Rockport-Fulton’s history is imbued with stories situated around its oak forest. Drawing from multiple sources and participant observations from repeated site visits, we analyzed references to Rockport-Fulton’s trees in news media, organizational communications, and public exhibits before and after Harvey to understand the area’s tree culture and its associated discourses. We also interviewed tourists, business owners, and community members nine months after Harvey to understand their perceptions of recovery efforts. Our findings show that tree narratives pre- and post-Harvey amplify social-ecological systems definitions of resilience and that tree loss was a dominant theme in the recovery process for all participants. Yet we also found that tourists discussed the damage to palm trees, whereas community members focused on the loss of live oaks. Despite these preferences, trees available through replanting efforts contained few live oak and palm species; furthermore, recovery plans did not amplify trees in recovery strategies. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of replanting trees during the disaster recovery process in a way that not only enhances local biodiversity but also reaffirms place characteristics to meet community members’ and visitors’ expectations.