A Three and a Six Year Old's Six Favourite Tree Stories

My two young daughters and I got together to decide which were our favourite tree stories. Here they are, please enjoy our list.

#6... Wonder Pets! Save the Tree

adapted by Kermit Frazier, based on the television series, 2009

Favourite quote: "Trees are living things, and we help all living things"

 

The Wonder Pets visit an abandoned inner city lot with only a single sad little tree. They set about providing care to it. Water, companionship and an improved environment. What tree wouldn't benefit from that?

 

 

#5... The Cat in the Hat, I Can Name 50 Trees Today

by Bonnie Worth, 2006

 

Favourite quote: "Knowing trees' names, my dear miss and dear mister, is like knowing the names of your brother or sister."

Don't be fooled friends, though this is a children's book it contains information that very few adults have stored in their brains. I challenge anyone to jot down and describe 50 different trees. This offering provides some high level information in a very friendly and memorable way using the Cat in the Hat brand.

 

#4... The Berenstain Bears, Don't Pollute (Anymore)

by Stan and Jan Berenstain, 1991

 

Favourite quote: "A good woodsbear plants a tree for every one he cuts. No ifs, no ands, no maybes, or buts!"

We love every Berenstain story we have ever come across. This one we have read countless times. It tells of the cubs learning about pollution, ecology and conservation. They then pass their knowledge on up to their parents.

 

 

#3... Koala Lou

by Mem Fox, illustrated by Pamela Lofts, 1988

 

Favourite quote: "Koala Lou, I do love you"

Lauryn, our eldest was born in Australia. Though she doesn't remember living there she does seem to connect with it. Mem Fox is a fantastic author of both childrens and adult works. This story gives a fantastic description of Australian bush with an Australian voice. The illustrations depict the gnarled elegance of the old gum trees and are worth the price of purchase on their own merit. We love this book.

 

 

#2... The Lorax

by Dr. Seuss, 1971

 

Favourite quote: "Speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues"

Better known today for the 2012 movie, many know the story. The movie is good but noticeably absent is the quote I mention above. This is the story of how pristine forest is turned into wasteland for the sake of corporate greed and short sighted profit. Here we are 42 years after initial release and the story is every bit as relevant today.

 

 

#1... The Giving Tree

by Shel Silverstein, 1964

 

Favourite quote: "And the boy loved the tree...very much... And the tree was happy"

The first time I read this to my daughter she sat there quietly thinking, then said "Read it again". This is a story of a boy in life with a tree. It is simple yet full of meaning. Any person who has not read it should. Any person who read it long ago should read it again. This was easily our number 1 choice for best tree story that we have ever read.

 

 

We would be very happy to learn of other books to add to our list. Please drop us a comment if you have more to share.

 



Dealing with Topped Trees

This Western Red Cedar had been deemed a 'Heritage Tree'. It was located on the grounds of a 110 year old church. The tree had to be removed due to historic topping and subsequent failure of a leader and severe internal decay.

The Reality of dealing with topped trees

If you read my last post you'd know that I think topping is bad. I hope you agree with me though I realize that not everyone does. The practise is still pretty common. The reality is that if tree topping were to stop tomorrow once and for all, we would still be dealing with the aftermath for many years into the future.

Here's the common scenario:
Tree gets topped--Multiple new tops grow--Tree decays--Tops fail--Premature end of tree

Dealing with a topped tree is like having a blown engine in a car.

It's never going to be as good as it was.

Caused by Ignorance
You blew engine because you forgot to check the oil. The oil ran dry and the engine runs way too hot. The engine is toast.

You have two choices:

1. Replace the engine (though you just know it will never be the same) .......... or
2. Get rid of it

Caused by Ignorance
The tree was topped because the topper didn't know the proper way to do the job.

The topped tree is similar in that it is never going to be quite as good as it used to be. You can try to fix it but you just know that from now on you will have nothing but problems. It's going to need a lot more maintenance; from expensive mechanics.. or should I say tree professionals.

Again two choices with the tree:

1. Top it again..... and again..... and again........  or
2. Get rid of it.

And so the story goes with topped tree after topped tree. So many issues and problems stem from this  scenario. How do we get away from this situation?

This is a problem worth thinking about.

For now lets just stop the topping.

TheTop 5 Reasons Why Urban Trees Get Chopped Down

The biggest problem faced by trees in the urban forest is the dreaded creature known as the human being.

Mind you, without the human being there would be no urban forest anyway, just forest.

The lives of urban trees are dramatically shorter than those of their natural forest grown cousins. Have you ever wondered why?

In addressing this issue I have come up with a list of 5 reasons why people remove urban trees. Breaking it down like this lets us see that there is a lot we can do to make it better.

Reason #1  Nuisance

• The nuisance category is probably the one that has the most creative "Reasons For Removal". Included here are:
•  Leaves that make the trampoline too slippery
• Complaints about debris and roots in the lawn
• Feral peacocks (yes, you read that right)
• Birds shitting on the car
• Also included in the nuisance category are some legitimate issues that are more challenging. Thing such as:
• Allergies
• Perceived pests such as wasps
• Views
• Neighbour to neighbour disputes

Reason #2  Fear

• All trees are hazardous. To some degree. The job here is to decide how hazardous is it. Just how hazardous is acceptable? (I wrote a post on Living in Fear of Trees)
• The challenge is to maintain fairness in making these decisions.
• Pressure for tree removals mounts as storm seasons approach.
• A television news story that shows a tree fallen on a house sparks panic.
• Sensitivities rise when children or elderly are involved. As if the people aged 19 to 72 are somehow less important.

Reason #3  Damage

• Trees get blamed for wrecking things.
• Clogging drains
• Flooding basements
• Cracking driveways
• Knocking down fences
• Destroying roofs
• Rarely do folks point to poor design or shoddy workmanship.

 

Reason #4  Construction

• This is perhaps the most tree aggressive category of all. Progress, in terms of development, means clearing forests in favour of new buildings, roads and facilities.

Reason #5  Decline 

• Of course trees live and they die. The problem is the rate at which this occurs in the urban setting. Imagine if it were people dying by the time they became young adults.
• Decline is natural, but usually the decline is human caused.
• Topping (Check my post on Tree Topping Brutality)
• Pest infestation due to environmental imbalances
• Bad pruning
• Root excavations
• Compaction
• Hydrology
• Neglect
• Vandalism
• Planting location
• Nursery grown root problems
• Soil grade alterations
• Competition
• Environmental poisons
• Mechanical damages

There are Solutions To These Problems

When we look at each area it becomes clear.

We can make a very big difference. We can save a lot of trees.

But someone has to draw the line.

Someone has to say

1. This nuisance is valid. That nuisance is not
2. Here is how hazardous a tree must be before it gets removed.
3. Damage is cause for removal only when there is no reasonable alternative.
4. New buildings can be modified, trees must be protected, solutions need to be found.
5. People must be prevented from causing unnecessary damage to trees.

You need to be aware that your City Hall has the power to do all of this. In fact it is happening in some places. Is your City doing what needs to be done?

We all need to work to make protection of urban forests a reality. It is too important to ignore.

Wrongfully Ruined Tree of the Day

I'll keep doing this until...

 I'll be posting a picture of a ruined tree everyday. The point of the exercise is to demonstrate the scale of the problems going on in our cities and towns. A person looking closely at the urban forest can find at least one tree that is badly pruned, root damaged, poorly located, neglected, abused or otherwise ignorantly ruined tee every single day. 

 

March 10

Doomed to Fail

This guy decided to concrete over his entire backyard. What would happen if everyone did that?

 

 

 

March 8

Like fingernails down a chalkboard

When you start looking at all the ruined trees out there it becomes irritating. Why are these so common?

 

 

 March 7

 He's Got the Biggest Ball of Them All

 

Some people just can't help themselves. They love to turn their tree shaped trees into ball shaped trees. Not sure the trees like it so much.



March 3

The Unexpected

 On developments sites, when forest is cleared expect the unexpected. New wind exposures, changes in hydrology and other unanticipated factors often result in tree failures.

March 2

Steel Wheels

Each year a new tree grows over top of the old one, consuming whatever is in its way.

March 1

Mower abuse

Give a young tree a chance. Don't let this happen. Create a tree well and keep turf away from the base. Plant so the stem flare is visible, so the to of root ball is at ground level. Young one need extra care to get started in life.

Feb 28

Buried so deep...

Buried so deep that the basketball net is near ground level. You are looking at a soon to be dead tree.

Feb 27

What Happened Here?

This U shaped Sequoia is a good example of resilience. Topped at a decent size, the tree bounced back. Ruined indeed, but worth having a look at.

Feb 26

No Cement... Blockhead!

When installing tree protection fencing do not dig post holes and fill them with cement as shown here.

Feb 25

Frankly My Dear

Wrong tree, wrong place, predictable result. Stone cold dead. These people just didn't give a damn.

Feb 24

Just Not Getting It

The protection area is clearly marked with protective fencing. Yet the contractor still thought it would be a good idea to pile excavated material over critical roots.

Feb 23

It's Just Not Going to Work

A Western Red Cedar is a large tree. This one with most of it branches cut off, stuck in the back corner of a tiny yard is just not going to thrive.

Feb 22

$1.38 per litre

That's some expensive gas. And those are some ridiculous trees.

Feb 21

Love Thy Neighbour

Can't we just get along.

Feb 20

Will Anyone Notice?

Will the neighbours realize in 3 months from now why this is dead?

Feb 19

A Brief Stay

Planted too deep, located too close to the concrete and its branch ends snipped off. Wasted life.

Feb 18

Strip Mall Horror Show

The worst part about this is the example it shows to area residents. Those unaware of best practises will imitate what they see.

Feb 17

Getting Ahead of Yourself

 Best to wait until finished building the house before setting down roots.

Feb 16

Too Close For Comfort

When planting a tree keep in mind that it just might grow.

Feb 15

Damaged Limbs, Trunk and Roots

 Work started ahead of schedule the tree was badly damaged and had to be removed. The incident upset many people.

Feb 14

The Happy Valentines Day Tree

 

It's an Alder.  I have no issues with this, it just seems appropriate to share today.

Feb 13

Skirt Lifted Too Far

Topped a few years ago and now stripped bare for all to see.

Feb 12, 2013

Just for Fun

Lets see what happens if we leave it in the container forever.

Feb 11, 2013

Topped Conifers



Here's an example of what happens to topped Douglas Fir. Multiple leaders are weakly attached at topping point resulting in failure.

Feb 10, 2013

Car Hammock

Shall I plant a couple trees or park a car. I can't do both. Or can I?

Feb 9, 2013

Over Excavated Roots

The orange paint and letters CRZ indicate what was the Critical Root Zone. The protection barrier is gone. The roots dug away. Stability is affected as is its ability to nourish itself.