I hear that since the hurricanes, a lot of people hate trees more than ever, and have become even more determined to get rid of trees. Some local governments are even facing pressure from citizens to cut down trees.
But chopping down trees is not the solution, for many reasons. The solution is to plant more trees and other deep-rooted plants, so their root systems protect each other and hold the soil.
A lot of trees are weak because we plant them in isolation, in the middle of a wide expanse of buzzcut turfgrass. (Trees can’t grow up healthy in isolation, any more than humans can.) Trees can also be weakened by turfgrass chemicals and excessive trimming.
We need trees! In addition to being beautiful, trees serve many essential functions, including but not limited to: stormwater absorption, shade, heat mitigation, pollinator & wildlife habitat.
#VolusiaCounty #Trees #HeatMitigation #StormwaterAbsorption
(Added later in response to a comment from someone in one of the eco groups who said she had not heard anyone voicing anti-tree sentiment; that on the contrary people are very concerned about the clearcutting of woods for new development):
For sure, many people are upset about the clearcutting for new development. But at the same time, a lot of people don’t seem to mind or notice that we are losing trees in our already-developed neighborhoods which were developed decades ago. The “treeless yard” seems to have become the gold standard … not sure but I think it might be a combination of several factors in addition to residents’ fear prompted by the hurricanes: the real-estate sector touting as “curb appeal” the type of naked landscape pictured in this photo <photo from real-estate section of local paper>; the mow & blow industry promoting same; plus the home-insurance industry maybe going overboard in forcing people to get rid of trees.