An illustration of the difference between The Netherlands and Zimbabwe
October 21, 2006 at 9:22 AM
by Ashleigh
Or between any 'western' country and any impoverished 'developing' country.
About two years ago there was a lot of development happening around the shopping centre where we live here in Holland. One facet of the development was that a previously grassed over and tree-populated area was going to become a strip of parking. The rest of the parking area was converted into city gardens so there was a lot of gain for a small bit of sacrifice.
Anyway, one Saturday we walked down to the shopping centre and the road was closed off. Interested, we stopped to see what was happening.
A young horse-chestnut tree was being replanted from the area that was going to be parking lot, into another area where a tree had died.
This involved a truck, ten people, a tree doctor, a road being closed off, the tree being carefully removed from it's original dwelling place, it being re-situated, wrapped in a sort of giant bandage and being protected with foam and wooden padding against the elements. In fact, it still has its bandage 2 years later, but the foam blocks and wooden padding have been removed.
I phoned my mom and told her how comical it was to see this tree being transported down the road on the back of a truck.
There was an aghast silence on the other end of the phone.
So much effort for a tree.
Note: While I appreciate the saving of the tree I wonder at the priorities of this world.
Comments
Unfortunately here in Gouda, they decided it was much easier to hack the mature trees down around our house. :(
I can see your point, but on the other hand....The US has such unplanned development and doesn't seem to care a whit about the environment. Development in our local area is so out of control. Pretty soon there won't be many green spaces in the US. Of course, part of the problem is uncontrolled immigration. There is a limit to how many people land can sustain, but George Bush et. al. doesn't seem to care about science facts.
I hope your mother is doing well in Zimbabwe.
Oh, I love that they saved the tree but that's because I live here next to where the tree is ;)
If I still lived in Africa I would be horrified if I tried to calculate the expense of saving the tree.
I suppose if you've never seen the grinding poverty of a third world country first hand it would be difficult to find the same incongruity in the situation as I do.
Thanks for commenting!
(Sheepishly) I'm with the tree movers, and the powers that be that don't see a mature tree as disposable.
October 21, 2006 11:21 AM