This tree is considered rare and endangered in Canada. I first encountered this large and old butternut tree in an older growth area of Stony Swamp a few days ago. I was fairly sure it was a butternut then because of the distinct diamond patterning on the trunk, but I couldn't see the leaf arrangement in the canopy very well because of the harsh lighting and lack of binoculars. Today, just a few days later, the tree was shedding its leaves for the fall, already! I picked up some of the leaves and the furry undersides confirmed butternut, the first of this species I've encountered in Stony Swamp. I brought a few leaves back home with me and left them on my desk before heading off for lunch. When I returned there was a noticeable aroma around my computer from the handful of leaves.