In May the tree did leaf out partially. It was surmised that a squirrel was gnawing the tree to such an extent that in some areas, the bark was completely stripped all around the limb.
The February 2009 photo above shows the damage where the bark is completely stripped all around the limb.
The OSU Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens has a Camperdown Elm that is a dedicated tree in the Lane Avenue Gardens. It is pendulous - a weeping habit - and lovely under the canopy of this crabapple cultlivar, 'Coralburst'. The Camperdown Elm cultivars flatten out as if it hit a glass ceiling and the spread can go out to 13 feet. The branches are contorted with extended branches forming a zig-zag pattern with alternate toothed leaves.
It seems a squirrel has started to work on this tree. I captured him in this photo below. Why are squirrels doing this to these trees? Is it tasty? Sugar? What's the attraction?
I photographed the Vivian Hall elm May 5, 2009 and on May 29th, Sharon pruned out some of the damaged dead limbs.
Recently in Goodale Park, I spotted another Camperdown Elm passing along Goodale Avenue. It was near the parking meters numbering 38 and 40. I examined it.
Similar damage was occurring and there was a squirrel going in one hole and exiting another hole down the limb. I attempted to photograph him, but he hid in the cavity.
The Three preceding photos show the line where the tree was grafted.About 1835 - 1840 (often miscalled as '1640'), the Earl of Camperdown’s head forester, David Taylor, discovered a mutant contorted branch growing along the ground in the forest at Camperdown House, in Dundee, Scotland. The earl's gardener produced the first Camperdown Elm by grafting it to the trunk of a Wych Elm Ulmus glabra. Every Camperdown Elm in the world is from a cutting taken from that original mutant cutting and is usually grafted on a Wych elm trunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_glabra_%27Camperdownii%27
Entrance and Exit holes
If you download Google Earth and find Goodale Park in Columbus, Ohio, there is a handy tree i.d. inventory. This park is frequently used to teach OSU horticulture students a variety of unique trees in a park setting. The notation on this tree indicates it was last visited in 2006 with some descriptive details of size, work performed and health status. I believe this tree needs another health check up visit. There are a multitude of squirrels in the park, and I wonder if there is something to discourage the squirrels from damaging this specimen to possibly cause its demise?
If you download Google Earth and find Goodale Park in Columbus, Ohio, there is a handy tree i.d. inventory. This park is frequently used to teach OSU horticulture students a variety of unique trees in a park setting. The notation on this tree indicates it was last visited in 2006 with some descriptive details of size, work performed and health status. I believe this tree needs another health check up visit. There are a multitude of squirrels in the park, and I wonder if there is something to discourage the squirrels from damaging this specimen to possibly cause its demise? 
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