Trees

Still Standing

The Elm trees’ knees bend toward the sun

keeping the beetles on the run

because they hide inside

making a wide ring of destruction.

And we humans think we are

the only ones.

                        by Annette Gagliardi

Back in the late 70’s I was providing child care to a small group of preschoolers that included my two girls. It was the time of Elm disease and the stately trees that canopied our street were felled one by one. We were so sad to see them go, and for the loss of shade on our front porch and stoop. Their demise left our street changed.

That event ignited a year-long quest to gather and recycle newspapers in order to purchase another tree sapling to place on our boulevard. I helped teach the children that paper comes from trees, so it was logical for us to recycle paper, so we wouldn’t have to cut down so many trees.

Our day care families helped  by bringing newspapers. My husband helped by taking the filled pick up down to the recycling center and bring us back the change we got in return. It took the winter to earn enough money to purchase a replacement tree. We had to get a city permit which had specific criteria for the tree we could plant. A couple days after we purchased and planted our tree, the city planted other trees along the boulevard. But we were happy to have had the experience of gathering newspapers and buying our own tree.

We purchased a Marshall Green Ash and named it “Marshall”. I took a picture of our two girls standing next to the tree and one of all the day care children around the tree after we planted it.  We were all so proud of our work, and possessive of our tree.  The kids would greet the tree every time we went outside. Eventually, the Ash grew large enough to shade the front porch and stoop. We began to take it for granted.

In the last couple of years, the Emerald Ash Borer has come to Minnesota and really took its toll on the trees planted to replace the Elms. Marshall, our Green Ash, was marked for the chopping block, as well.  I mourned the loss as I pleaded for clemency, since our tree was not diseased.  The city crew was nice as they commiserated with me. They understood my feelings. Then they cut the tree down.

It was replaced by another Elm – a disease resistant Elm, one that is growing large enough to again shade the porch and has almost reached our front stoop.

Aaaah, the cycle of life, you might be saying. But I also think that we who live on this planet need to be good stewards and take the responsibility to care for the nature we live in.  

The city has been good stewards in their attempts to control the damage of natural pests, to replant trees and now the planting a variety of trees, so neighborhoods don’t lose all their trees in one epidemic. But, with the continued urban development, more and more natural areas are being destroyed to build apartment complexes, condos or single-family dwellings.

We, as citizens must encourage builders to replant trees and other vegetation. We must insist that they provide green spaces along with the new construction.

Let’s help our children get to know and value the trees in our yards, and the vegetation that helps sustain our lives.