Here's the thing: I have set myself a goal that is deemed impossible by almost everyone I talk to. Give up, they say. One person can't make a difference. I will just have to prove them wrong, because there is no way I am giving up on the urban trees.
Saltskadet træ / Salt damaged tree. Not balding: the leaves were never there to begin with.
It is beyond me, how preventing and fixing this is not the highest priority of the city.
The goal, in two parts:
One: the city must cease salting the roads in the wintertime, and look to an alternative method of keeping them safe. It is done in cities like Stockholm and Berlin, where the use of salt is forbidden for this exact reason. If they don't, we will lose all our road trees, already withering in large numbers.
Two: the city must implement a tree plan. Other cities in Europe, even in Denmark, have one. In Copenhagen it is the wild west, besides the dying trees, healthy ones are cut down for any reason you can think of. Copenhagen trees are not mapped, and enjoy no special protection. The ground under them is hugely attractive to real estate developers, and a giant tree can be cut down and replaced by a twig, without any objection. This has to end!
Two: the city must implement a tree plan. Other cities in Europe, even in Denmark, have one. In Copenhagen it is the wild west, besides the dying trees, healthy ones are cut down for any reason you can think of. Copenhagen trees are not mapped, and enjoy no special protection. The ground under them is hugely attractive to real estate developers, and a giant tree can be cut down and replaced by a twig, without any objection. This has to end!
I just wanted this on the record, as it is something that all started here on the blog, with the trees on the bunkers. I promise not to spam you with too much tree stuff, but if something major happens, you will know about it.
The damage:
It was not until I saw the trees in Ørstedsparken that I fully realised what is missing. This young tree below never bloomed. And all the others like it down the road, and along many other roads in Copenhagen have been twiggy since spring. Crippled by salt, a damage that stays for years. Another hit may be the end of it.
Saltskadet træ / Salt damaged tree.
Suffering trees by the lakes in the summertime:
Left side: reasonably healthy, right side: dying. The poor trees never stood a chance. Same spot now:
This is one of many reasons that young urban trees don't make it past the age of seven: living conditions are impossible. How would anyone sustain life on a diet of saltwater, really? Last year you would still see larger patches of yellow leaves in the streets. Today there are
almost none. People don't know what is missing because you don't see
what you don't see. It needs to be pointed out.
The plan:
Only when people join efforts, push for and demand action, we stand a chance. So I will absorb knowledge on the subject, inform people, make the damage visible and gather support. Make some noise for our beautiful, suffering trees.
I had a golden opportunity to talk about the oversalted trees and the city's bully tactics on urban oasis Sølund and ladytree, in the magazine Where2Go. It is available online as well, but only in Danish, here: link.
I had a golden opportunity to talk about the oversalted trees and the city's bully tactics on urban oasis Sølund and ladytree, in the magazine Where2Go. It is available online as well, but only in Danish, here: link.
If you are in Denmark, and want to support the trees, I hope you will join me on Red Byens Træer.
We can totally do this!
♥