On Mercatorpad, next to the University Library towards the College Hall complex, a bog oak (Quercus palustrus) will soon be removed. Beneath this tree is a technical tunnel which has suffered serious concrete rot due to a leak in the roof. To make the tunnel watertight, the top of the tunnel needs to be excavated. This will remove the roots of the bog oak. A tree expert has stated that the tree will not survive.
The Omgevingsdienst Regio Nijmegen has approved the felling permit. Due to the vulnerable underground infrastructure, no new tree will be planted at the same location. As compensation, a new tree will be planted elsewhere on the Radboud University or UMC campus.
The trunk of the bog oak will be given a new use on the campus. It will serve as a breeding habitat for the flying deer, a protected and rare insect species that will be helped by this.
