Dokdiek van der Zel, Strand
Last year I read in Bolander about the indiscriminate pruning of large sidewalk trees in Somerset West.
Last week it was our unfortunate turn.
On Galloway Square, near Beach Road, Strand, there was a large, well-leaved tree, growing for over 50 years, disturbing nobody.
Suddenly the Municipality decided to prune it lopsidedly and seriously, with only 20% of its leaves left.
Before, a large flock of birds came to rest there overnight – now, a bird cannot even sit there in a mild South Easter.
It was not a tree where vandals could hide, and I daily enjoyed walking past… half-under it on my walk to the shops.
Why do people not consider the consequences of their deeds?
On Saturday morning radio, a scientist told us that each of us needed nine trees to enable us to breath… inhale the oxygen the tree leaves release.
That particular tree was one of my trees.
So now one of my trees is severely hampered to enable me to breath, and my health will deteriorate… or yours , or our health, if people continue to cut down trees without a thought.
A kind warning to all of you: look after your nine trees.
Your life is at stake.
