Trees are the perfect canopy for our homes, providing beauty, shade, and a thriving organism to our yards. Unfortunately, others may not look at them the same and may not give them the required care.
In the subreddit r/arborists, one user posted images of their tree in their front yard with the caption: "Did this truck recovery company just kill my tree?"
In the four images posted, they showed the trucks outside their home using their tree as a pulley to get the truck out. In the aftermath, the bark at the base of the tree is ripped off.
"The green and white truck was delivering timber to a house at the top of the hill, he misjudged the turn coming back down the hill and put a wheel out over the kerbstones on the far side where there's a steep bank down," the original poster added. "Driver then called the truck recovery, no permission was given to use the tree."
The OP was most upset for their grandfather, who planted the now-56-year-old tree as a remembrance for his great grandparents. "Loved and cared for it all his life, all for these cowboys to kill because it made their job easier," they added. "Can't believe someone would be so careless."
Beyond the emotional significance of the OP's tree, trees play a vital role in our lives. Trees pull carbon dioxide out of the air and provide oxygen to the air. This helps keep temperatures from rising and makes it easier for humans and animals to breathe by removing carbon pollution.
In the Greater Kansas City area alone, trees help remove 26,000 tons of air pollution each year, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.
Trees also help clean water, lessen flooding risks, and support wildlife. Among other studies, the Green Heart Louisville initiative, which was started in 2018, aims at providing concrete evidence of how trees benefit our lives.
When other people don't treat trees with respect, our communities lose the benefits of what trees bring. And it happens far too often.
Canadian residents in Halifax, Nova Scotia, were outraged when a centuries-old tree was vandalized. In Oregon, officials are working hard to protect against poachers who are cutting down thousands of trees. Other homeowners have been left shocked when their homeowners associations have forced trees in their neighborhoods to be cut down.
Luckily, there are efforts to protect the personal and environmental benefits of trees. Microsoft is investing millions of dollars to save rainforests, for example.
"That tree will likely never recover from that amount of damage," wrote one commenter. "Even if it doesn't die, the decay that will eventually happen will make it a hazard tree."
"I would absolutely sue them," said another. "You're not being frivolous, and they need to learn a costly lesson. Sorry your family's tree was damaged, I hope it recovers."
In the latest update, the OP wrote they got a report from an arboricultural consultant and that the tree would heal and survive.
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