"Saving our Heritage Trees" by Alice Newton, National Park Service
Have we learned much about the essential nature of trees lately ? Thanks to Southwest Trees and Turf magazine, we are finding out that our government is considering tree removal very carefully before they act.
"One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can."
Wordsworth--"The Tables Turned"
This 1793 quote from British Poet Laureate Wordsworth is how I started my article, on how to decide if a bad tree should be removed, in the October, 1995 issue of Arbor Age magazine. Caretaker or Undertaker ?
A review of 300 years of tree literature showed lots about how to save a tree (much of it archaic), tons about how to cut a tree down, but very little about the grey area in-between. How to decide IF a tree should be removed, that is the question in this thread.
Wordsworth goes on to say,
"Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
We murder to dissect."
I wonder if Shigo feels his dissections are 'meddling'? I thank the trees whose skeletons were sacrificed and anylyzed for the opportunity to know them intimately.
Here's an excerpt from the article, "Tree Removal, the Final Maintenance Option":
"Tree removal is regarded as an ethical issue in American culture. As a boy, George Washington committed an impulsive act without considering the circumstances beforehand. He yielded to his "Euc Man" tendencies. Not a lot is known about his motivation, but maybe he felt the need to control the fate of something. We presume that he wielded his hatchet in a fit of wanton boyish destruction. Afterward, he realized that cutting down the Cherry Tree was a mistake. When confronted, he admitted he was wrong and accepted his punishment. Only his honesty mitigated the discipline meted out by his father.
If there had been an agreement about some problem with the tree or site that necessitated cutting it down, the incident would have been lost to history. Since there was not a good reason for removing the tree, young George was made an example of for being thoughtless, but genuine.
Arborists today are in the unenviable position of having to meet the same high standards as the Father of Our Country. People mistakenly assume that we are removing a tree even when it is only receiving a trim. How many times have we heard a passerby call out to us while up in a tree: "You're not cutting it all the way down, are you?"
These observers are unconsciously preparing themselves to step into the role of George Washington's father. They have begun the process of examining their tree values, determining our guilt, assessing our remorse, then assigning a suitable sentence. If they feel benevolent enough (on the way back from walking the dog or taking out the garbage), they may even grant us a pardon.
Talk about the work ethic! Our job has become an object lesson for determining the difference between right and wrong. As an industry, we need to accumulate more knowledge, aquaint ourselves with societies' values, affirm our own ethics, and develop clearer arboricultural standards."
Have we learned much about the essential nature of trees lately ? Thanks to Southwest Trees and Turf magazine, we are finding out that our government is considering tree removal very carefully before they act.
"One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can."
Wordsworth--"The Tables Turned"
This 1793 quote from British Poet Laureate Wordsworth is how I started my article, on how to decide if a bad tree should be removed, in the October, 1995 issue of Arbor Age magazine. Caretaker or Undertaker ?
A review of 300 years of tree literature showed lots about how to save a tree (much of it archaic), tons about how to cut a tree down, but very little about the grey area in-between. How to decide IF a tree should be removed, that is the question in this thread.
Wordsworth goes on to say,
"Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
We murder to dissect."
I wonder if Shigo feels his dissections are 'meddling'? I thank the trees whose skeletons were sacrificed and anylyzed for the opportunity to know them intimately.
Here's an excerpt from the article, "Tree Removal, the Final Maintenance Option":
"Tree removal is regarded as an ethical issue in American culture. As a boy, George Washington committed an impulsive act without considering the circumstances beforehand. He yielded to his "Euc Man" tendencies. Not a lot is known about his motivation, but maybe he felt the need to control the fate of something. We presume that he wielded his hatchet in a fit of wanton boyish destruction. Afterward, he realized that cutting down the Cherry Tree was a mistake. When confronted, he admitted he was wrong and accepted his punishment. Only his honesty mitigated the discipline meted out by his father.
If there had been an agreement about some problem with the tree or site that necessitated cutting it down, the incident would have been lost to history. Since there was not a good reason for removing the tree, young George was made an example of for being thoughtless, but genuine.
Arborists today are in the unenviable position of having to meet the same high standards as the Father of Our Country. People mistakenly assume that we are removing a tree even when it is only receiving a trim. How many times have we heard a passerby call out to us while up in a tree: "You're not cutting it all the way down, are you?"
These observers are unconsciously preparing themselves to step into the role of George Washington's father. They have begun the process of examining their tree values, determining our guilt, assessing our remorse, then assigning a suitable sentence. If they feel benevolent enough (on the way back from walking the dog or taking out the garbage), they may even grant us a pardon.
Talk about the work ethic! Our job has become an object lesson for determining the difference between right and wrong. As an industry, we need to accumulate more knowledge, aquaint ourselves with societies' values, affirm our own ethics, and develop clearer arboricultural standards."
