The looming mutant dandelions in the Lower Arb, part of an art installation created last year by local artist Jim Proctor, are no more.
Proctor and a crew of volunteers from Carleton and the surrounding community dug up buckthorns that were infesting the Arb. Then they stripped all the branches off of some of the largest buckthorns and attached the pulled-up roots to the tops to give that dandelioney effect. The object of the installation was to raise awareness of the danger invasive species pose to our native woods while destroying a lot of buckthorn at the same time. Sadly, like Twigonometry, the installation was not meant to last forever. Last weekend the buckthorn poles were removed for good, lest they branch out again and menace the innocent raspberry bushes nearby. Buckthorn Menace, you will be missed.