Posts by Leigh Russell
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There were some lovely trees along that stream bank, but not all of them were suitable. I loved the macrocarpa next to the massive gum tree, but it was growing like Topsy and would become more and more unsuitable. I reluctantly asked the Council man if they would consider taking it out, and after months of persistence a team of three arborists was sent around to do the job. I was pleased and anxious all at the same time.
When I greeted them and I said I hoped they would manage to get it down without crushing too much of the surrounding growth. Then I watched their skill and dexterity with awe, torn between baking a tray of fresh biscuits ( I believe strongly in feeding the workers!) and taking photographs. Each bough was brought down along the path whence it was speedily removed, and when they had finished I could hardly see where they had been!
They were so quick too: I had only just time to get those biscuits out of the oven and onto a tray with glasses of juice before they were ready to go, all mulching having been completed and in the back of the truck. Amazing! Ah, mulching and munching: num-num!!!
For me conservation is often about gradually changing direction and moving into healthier ones - in this case promoting the growth of trees that were suitable for that place and removing those that would grow to overpower others.
I have no idea what happened to that place after we left, and would be surprised if the house survived the earthquakes. Bit I did what I could at the time.
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Continuing on about the stream bank I adopted in Christchurch, which was owned by the council and nominally under their care: it was in a strange and very awkward spot with difficult access through the back of our place. When I first started doing that clearance I did it without having asked for permission as I was afraid I would be asked not to - or have some other constraints put on what I did, so I simply armed myself with the Council's weed list and got to it.
The trouble was how to get rid of all the weeds and detritus? My landlord had grudgingly agreed to remove what I weeded and trimmed from our own garden which I couldn't compost ("Where does all this stuff come from?") and I knew it would be useless to ask him! So in the end I did contact the Council, found the Right Person who was in charge of that sort of thing, and the thing was done. As long as I was okay in waiting until they were doing other similar work in the area it was fine.
I did a clearance about quarterly and often there was a huge mountain of it. I would carefully pile it separately to stuff from our own garden - a small amount in comparison, and point out that they needn't take that - but they always did: ("Oh that's nothing!") The access was so awkward actually, so I always helped and then thanked them profusely. But I had Done The Work, and the Council man who delegated them to the job very much appreciated it - so we were all pleased with each other.
They were all older men. I commented on that and they laughed and said the younger men couldn't last the distance. I'm not altogether surprised as it was hard work and must have required a certain stoicism.
Gradually I planted seedlings I knew were suitable for the setting - mostly natives. It was a lovely spot. Very restful.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Thanks, and I found the Dunedin equivalent which I've linked to for anyone who is interested.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
the 10m oak was coming down in the morning. Myself and another Street member had put it forward for protection
Sofie, how did you go about that? And was the tree on public or private land? Although the bylaws are probably different here in Dunedin there are likely to be parallels so I'd be interested to hear what the process was.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Chris Waugh,
convoys of wind turbine blades awaiting delivery
Applause!!!
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
this link Kepa Rd Project and has suggested they need volunteers
Sofie, what an amazing effort! I've added both those links to the side bar of my At Home Chronicle. Am really pleased to hear of the Conservation Volunteers Trust as I didn't know of them at all.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Hi Sofie, how shattering about the tree being felled. Tragic.
I do believe that all our conservation efforts, big or small, should be celebrated - efforts made even if they are unsuccessful at the time, as well as our achievements. Encouraging each other is so important. Solidarity with you and High Fives everyone.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to JacksonP,
reminded me of The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono.
Jackson, thank you so much for posting this. It is very special - and moved me to tears. Inspirational.
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Nora Leggs,
Hi Nora, yes, I get overwhelmed too. It makes me weep with despair. The way I deal with that is to actively grasp everything in my path that can make any difference at all. This is what I write about so much of the time. All of us have got to lift our game. And even if it is Too Late, we have to go down fighting for what we belief in - the right to a wholesome life on a thriving planet. I take comfort in Theodore Roosevelt's instruction to "Do what you can where you are with what you have", which comes from a military handbook. We can't do any more than that. For me fighting means pushing back against the tidal waves of indifference which I see as the greatest danger in the modern world. I took this photo on my walk this morning. How it lifted my spirits!
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Capture: Ans Westra - Ngā Tau ki Muri…, in reply to Islander,
Plastic has it’s place (several of my immediate family are nurses/midwives/doctors, and, quite frankly, medical hygiene has been hugely enhanced by various forms of plastic…
I am sure you are right.
My concern is about waste products and the effect these have on the environment. In a domestic setting I want to see how far I can go to doing away with it. That Midway Island film trailer affected me deeply and I took it very personally (the sight of that toothbrush inside the albatross’s corpse really topped the lot); my whole point of view altered radically as a result.
