Here is a birch that was dying, so harvesting it almost makes it immortal in a sense. It was being choked out from overpopulation and a developed overstory that depletes sunlight. Once it gets weak it is vulnerable to disease and pests. This one has a lot of root damage from ants that long since moved on. It has black scars and voids where it was infested. It also has a cool "wounded knee" on the shaft, and old wound that scarred over and the pith rotted. It stands 70-1/2" tall and only weighs two pounds. The shaft is small, only an inch in diameter at the bottom and 1-1/2" below the roots. It's hard to see in the pictures but there is a dogleg in the shaft about 2" up from the ground. It has a nice root mass and I'm sure someone with a vision could mount an artifact in the array. This takes my normal 72" x 8" x 8" box, and I could easily fit another staff for the single postage rate if you want to order another for a friend. (ufws289)