Don't Cut It Down!
Two leafy little tidbits for you today.
First, let me share the one that arises in the "endless hills of pine" described by European settlers who first came to the Ottawa river valley. Because the bulk of the settlers were from the Isles, and Britain was busy amassing her empire on which "the sun never set", it didn't take long for entrepreneurs to view the trees as money. The white pine which flourished in the valley was perfect for the masts on the British warships, and so they brought a good price. In fact, Britain passed acts forbidding the cutting of pines more than 12 inches in diameter for anything other than use by the crown. All that was needed to get these trees to his majesty was for some lumber barons to appear. John Gillies was one that came here from Ireland, to pillage the forests and line his pockets.The family fortunes continued to climb up the branches and boughs of the pine groves, until the 1980's, when the trees gave out. The irony here is that "Gillies Grove', named an historic site because it is one of the few old growth areas left in the province, used to be the estate of that forest-killing family. They wanted the beauty of the trees surrounding their mansion to be left untouched, and so that area survived. Irony indeed!
The second morsel of information comes from Toronto, not so far away from Gillies Grove. With over 8,000 hectares (19,760 acres) of green space Toronto is worthy of its nickname as a green city. There are more than 3,000,000 publicly owned trees gracing our metropolis, and millions more on private properties. The trees sitting on private land are the subject matter of a new bylaw that would require the owners to obtain a permit if they wish to remove any tree that is more than 20 cm (50 inches) in diameter. I'm sure there will be cries of protest from those who wish to hack and chop, especially for such perfectly sound reasons as the tree interfering with their view, but I am glad to hear that there are enough of us who realize a tree is a gift to us all. They are beautiful to look at, they provide shade and animal habitats, but perhaps above all else, their photosynthesis is lifegiving to us as well as to them. In this era of increasing greenhouse gases and smog alerts, why cut down any tree without justifiable reason? Trees take in carbon dioxide to fuel their photosynthesis, thereby acting as air filters. In the process, they release oxygen, the oxygen you and I need to inhale. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four! Don't just let the existing trees grow. Get out there and plant some more!
First, let me share the one that arises in the "endless hills of pine" described by European settlers who first came to the Ottawa river valley. Because the bulk of the settlers were from the Isles, and Britain was busy amassing her empire on which "the sun never set", it didn't take long for entrepreneurs to view the trees as money. The white pine which flourished in the valley was perfect for the masts on the British warships, and so they brought a good price. In fact, Britain passed acts forbidding the cutting of pines more than 12 inches in diameter for anything other than use by the crown. All that was needed to get these trees to his majesty was for some lumber barons to appear. John Gillies was one that came here from Ireland, to pillage the forests and line his pockets.The family fortunes continued to climb up the branches and boughs of the pine groves, until the 1980's, when the trees gave out. The irony here is that "Gillies Grove', named an historic site because it is one of the few old growth areas left in the province, used to be the estate of that forest-killing family. They wanted the beauty of the trees surrounding their mansion to be left untouched, and so that area survived. Irony indeed!
The second morsel of information comes from Toronto, not so far away from Gillies Grove. With over 8,000 hectares (19,760 acres) of green space Toronto is worthy of its nickname as a green city. There are more than 3,000,000 publicly owned trees gracing our metropolis, and millions more on private properties. The trees sitting on private land are the subject matter of a new bylaw that would require the owners to obtain a permit if they wish to remove any tree that is more than 20 cm (50 inches) in diameter. I'm sure there will be cries of protest from those who wish to hack and chop, especially for such perfectly sound reasons as the tree interfering with their view, but I am glad to hear that there are enough of us who realize a tree is a gift to us all. They are beautiful to look at, they provide shade and animal habitats, but perhaps above all else, their photosynthesis is lifegiving to us as well as to them. In this era of increasing greenhouse gases and smog alerts, why cut down any tree without justifiable reason? Trees take in carbon dioxide to fuel their photosynthesis, thereby acting as air filters. In the process, they release oxygen, the oxygen you and I need to inhale. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four! Don't just let the existing trees grow. Get out there and plant some more!
1 Comments:
The fact that some of those old growth trees have survived longer than we have been around seems lost on many.
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