Dad Finds Something Unexpected Hidden Deep in Pittsburgh Woods: ‘Wow’

A man walking in the woods near his home in Pittsburgh was taken aback when he came across a fallen tree that had been turned into a thought-provoking piece of art.
Ronnie Hein, 38, was wandering through Riverview Park near the Marshall Shadeland area of Brighton Heights with his daughters and their dog when he stumbled across the tree, which had been carved by an artist to resemble an old-style column.
“All the way from the park, we had to go down the hill and back up more because my daughter spotted something that looked strange,” he told Newsweek. “We got up to it, and it ended up being this carving!
“I did not know at the time, but when I went back, I seen it was done by a city worker from the city of Pittsburgh, which still amazes me because why would they do that so deep in the woods?”
Hein shared a clip of his discovery to TikTok, with the clip receiving over 900,000 views since it was first posted on November 12. “My daughter seen this in the middle of Riverview Park. someone took their time and carved a fallen treethat no one can see unless they walk in that park,” he wrote in the caption of the video.
The clip, which is just over 30 seconds long, shows the fallen tree and the details that have been carved into it, with Hein panning the camera around to show the remote location “in the middle of the woods” where he found it.
In a follow-up video, Hein shows the small plaque beside the work of art that he had missed beforehand, revealing it to be a piece called “Picture of the Future,” and was funded by the City of Pittsburgh.
Trees end up falling for a number of reasons. American Arborists list advanced insect infestation, malnutrition, poor soil condition, flooding, construction damage, and old age as some of the things that result in trees falling down.
TikTok viewers shared their thoughts on Hein’s unique discovery in the comments section of his video.
One TikTok user with the handle No Name commented: “What a masterpiece.”
“[I] hope the creator sees this video so they know it was seen and appreciated,” said @Reaper615.
@unsoundminds6 wrote: “Wow! That is insanely amazing. Whoever done that has more than mastered this art.”
“The time and skill level that kind of fine carpentry takes…and to do it in the woods? Bravo. Gorgeous work,” said @$cooterTra$h.