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Dupont Circle residents have always appreciated the trees in Dupont Circle Park. But they gained a new appreciation for the tree canopy after losing one in a Sept. 3 storm.

鈥淭his was the backdrop of a lot of people鈥檚 fondest memories, this place, and you don鈥檛 realize it until it鈥檚 gone, but this is one of the biggest trees here,鈥� Logan Mason, a Northern Virginia resident and local realtor, said.

Mason was walking through the park a couple days after the storm when he noticed the fallen tree. At the time, it had just one note attached. 

Since then, residents, including Mason, have filled the tree with messages.

One note said, 鈥淭hank you for reminding us that people can come together to appreciate beautiful things in life.” Another letter reads, 鈥淕oodbye and goodnight, sweet tree. You will be missed.鈥� 

And this tree isn鈥檛 the only one Washington residents lost. 

More than 300 trees fell in the Sept. 3 storm, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a the next day. 

According to , the district boasts 2 million trees, and 89% of those are in 鈥渆xcellent鈥� or 鈥済ood鈥� condition. Casey Trees is a nonprofit organization that plants, restores and protects the district鈥檚 tree canopy.

D.C.鈥檚 goal is to reach 40% canopy in Washington by 2032, Casey Trees said on its website. It is at 37% now, according to the most recent data from 2020.

Vince Drader, the director of communications for Casey Trees, said harsh weather like the Sept. 3 storm can set the organization back.

鈥淐asey Trees plants upwards of 7,000 trees per year. When we lose a large, mature tree, as we lost many large, mature trees in the storm, you can imagine how long it takes for us to get that canopy back because a large, mature tree has been growing there for 50 to 100 years or more,鈥� Drader said. 

Although tree loss cannot be avoided in large storms, Drader said, care and maintenance can give trees a better chance. 

鈥淢aking sure that you鈥檙e pruning it, having it inspected and looked at,鈥� Drader said. 鈥淧runing it to make sure that there鈥檚 no large hazard limbs, that it鈥檚 growing in a proper shape and form that will allow it to weather a storm like the one we just had.鈥�

For Mason, the canopy is what sets Washington apart from other cities.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing that keeps D.C. looking beautiful is the fact that we do keep the lush greenery,鈥� Mason said.

Yvonne Thelwell, who is from the city, feels similarly. 

She said the trees in Dupont Circle Park are the 鈥渁nchors of Dupont.鈥� And if the fallen tree could talk, think of how much it would say, she added.

Thelwell, a civil engineer for the district, said the neighborhood historically has had much meaning to many people. 鈥滱 lot has happened in this Dupont Circle,鈥� she said, such as during the 鈥�60s and with gay pride events.

She said she is curious to see what happens with the stump, but she hopes something is done with it, like a carving, or to see it left as a memorial.

As for the future of the tree, Jeffrey Rueckgauer, a Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commissioner, said the ANC will see what the arborists say about the stump.

The National Park Service told Axios Monday morning that the stump will be removed, and a new tree planted. The National Park Service鈥檚 National Capital Region did not respond for comment. 

The memorial remained as of Monday evening. 

In the meantime, Drader said residents are mourning the loss of the tree because it provides them benefits year-round, like curbing noise pollution and providing cleaner air.

And Mason has one message for those grieving downed trees around the city.

鈥淚f you ever get the chance, leave a note on the fallen tree,鈥� he said.