Local authority attitudes towards trees in our towns and cities need to change, says Bo Beolens
Who could resist running one’s hand along the skin-smooth bark of a Beech tree or hugging a Hornbeam? Can anyone doubt the primal pleasure of hearing the wind ruffling the leaves of a poplar or knowing of the reassuring longevity of a craggy old oak?
Well, the answer turns out to be the municipal muggers who are more concerned by possible litigation than certain deforestation. In a week where I received an invitation from the London Borough of Waltham Forest to the opening of their new nature reserve, I also read about the utter foolishness of another London borough.
It seems Wandsworth council have plans to remove an avenue of 150-year-old chestnut trees on Tooting Common. Is the heartwood rotten or have our increasingly frequent storms damaged them? The answer is a resounding no!
So, why are 51 magnificently mature trees being replaced by 64 saplings? It’s not that they are dangerous, but that they might become so.
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Bird Watching.
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This story is from the January 2018 edition of Bird Watching.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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