Your definition of a tree hugger

Eric Frei

The terms been kicked around for ages, some not sure what it means others branded by it and so on.

The catalyst for the thread was reading this line and thinking about replying to it, realising that to reply one would have define what a tree hugger is.

So, what is a tree hugger?

We had touched on the subject in this thread.

Hug to a tree! and discovered that the real concept of people hugging trees to prevent felling was born in India in the early 70's and known as the Chipko movement.

However now some 30 years later with strong emphasis placed on environmental protection there's a developing psyche that people who cut trees down etc are doing a BAD THING. At times with little understanding or knowledge total strangers will remark at your job site calling you things or expressing their disappointment at a tree being cut down.

I know I have called them tree huggers.

So, what is your definition of a tree hugger?

And for the question of can you be a good arborist and not a tree hugger what do you think?

I'll let others go first, and dont be shy, this is a free for all have your say, from tree huggers to tree haters, let it rip.

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windthrown

Around here it is pretty simple and straight forward. Tree huggers climb trees and/or chain themselves to trees so that they cannot be felled. The archtype tree hugger is Julia Hill, AKA "Butterfly", that camped out in a redwood tree in Humbolt for months and made the news:

CNN - Tree-hugger lives atop Redwood to save forest - June 22, 1998

Now there is also TreeHugger, a more or less environmental web site that is commercial, and as such somewhat contradictory in my view. Like treehuggers that drive Volvos to rallies... buring gas.

My view is quite different. Old growth trees are not always in the best shape or health, and if you want more biomass per acre, you have to clear cut and replant. At least with Doug firs you do. Tree hugging by cutting.

azrael

Ekka...are you ..... for me.....?

Eric Frei

Blah hah haha, you were caught and gutted long ago.

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newguy18

believe a good arborist should advocate tree care.I for one prmote the removal of large trees in metropolitan areas and in thier place plant small trees and shrubs that have a better chance for survival with alot less maintance.I also believe that if the trees are in the way of the power wires unless it is an extremly protected species or if its gonna get topped should be removed.i believe a tree hugger is pretty much what windthrown discribed someone who chains themselves to trees.

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old schooler

Pro Nemus

A tree hugger is a new climber who is afraid to trust their lifeline.

One of my guys likes to tell people that he hugs the trees from the top down.

Eric Frei

Like Koalas. LOL

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Jeff Darby

A little from columb A,...And a little from columb B.
We are all tree huggers,..but to what extent vareis greatly.

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bigshea13

i dont know but i hope i fit the profile.

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newguy18

it might just fit shea.

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old schooler

D Mc

I know a lot of Public Works Directors would love you. Many developers (at least in our area) have your attitude, get rid of the big, mature trees (that are inconvenient) and replace them with small "cheaper" trees. Whereas this philosophy might sound money wise, it is not necessarily in the best interests of the trees, citizens, or the environment.

Soooo, I am hoping that you are referring to cities that are already, in essence, a "concrete jungle" with no place for a tree, high traffic, high target areas. Such areas that are more suitable to container plants and small islands of greenery.

I do agree about under the utility lines. I would advocate that when a tree does have to come down that it be planted with an acceptable species (and that might be grass, shrubs or nothing).

I LOVE big, mature, magnificent trees. Uh-oh, does that make me a tree-hugger? If so, I'll take that label.

S Mc

polly

I agree with Dmc, big mature trees do have a place in our cities as long as they are regularly inspected ( from in the canopy) and given half a chance with enough root space and mulch , they are really important for many reasons.

Then again sometimes they have no future ,are in the wrong place and do need to come down.

I think more research needs to go into wildlife corridors , which species of animals lives in which areas and exactly what species of trees they rely on for foodsource and habitat, those tree should be planted with their native understorey and biodiversity needs to be promoted , the public educated about this, more than is already happening.
there was a really interesting article on science daily website the other week about thinking of wildlife corridors as circuit systems, looking at a whole city like a circuit system where wildlife can get through and where the weak points are etc.How to improve the weak points.

I'm definatly a tree hugger, I appreciate alot of them, even the little guys, but would consider myself more of an environmenatlist as I think the whole picture needs to be looked at.
Mine is just one tangent as trees do provide so many benefits in so many different ways.

Sean Freeman

Tree hugger and frotter and kisser from waaaay back....work to retain more big old trees in our towns and cities, accept where we are not willing to give them space and work from a position of informed knowledge rather than blind absolutism on either side.

You know even accepting the derogatory definintions without some of those "chained to tree individuals" you wouldn't have many of the (limited) national parks that increasing play a critical role in the rapidly altering environment in which we all live, its worth considering that over our brief occupation of this earth the things we accept as being right and proper have changed somewhat (with respects to our role in extracting resource from the earth) and often (not always!) those who have argued for conservation and having strict limits on our insatiable desire to consume have presented a more sustainable model.

Hindsight is great, but you really want to hope that we don't need to rely on it in the next 100yrs!!

Therrin

Shea.... whoa... wait, that isnt you is it?

I think treehuggers are the Sierra Club types who go out and wrap their arms 'round the trunk...

Then again, I think this site has made me a bit more of a "tree hugger" as I'm now more interested in seeing what I can do to keep them up and help them out than just take em down all the time.

clementine

I think that there is a whole range of so called "Tree Huggers" and the majority of them advocate to loving trees because they are beautiful objects and good for the environment and they are worth our respect. We should be called "Tree Lovers" IMO.


A real "Tree Hugger" IMO is the one that can differenciate between a tree that needs taking down for its own good and trees that are going to be felled for no other reason than developement.

After realising that the developement cannot be halted through peaceful means, they are fanatical enough to go and try to stop this from happening by means of protest often involving climbing the trees or attaching themselves to them.

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ozinus

Did Shigo not ask us all to "touch trees" If you define a fanatical love for trees without the understanding of how they work as a tree hugger I will still back this up as it shows innate within us is, a desire to care for the natural things around us. I just think that this desire can be quantified and explained so that people have no choice but to listen to the science that they are given.

Eric Frei

LOL, Tree Ninja there Clemmy.

What about those whacko's who stick nails and steel in trees to stuff up the loggers?

Ozinus, I believe you live on the same planet as I.

People always have a choice, and sometimes even though they listen they remain stupid. How much of your time have you wasted on people telling them to not top their trees or totally stub cut the thing? You show pics, examples, video and take half hour longer at the quote than anyone else.

... then drive past to see the butchering regardless.

Ignorance to some is bliss, and the contrary easily washed without trace.

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polly

Ekka,

don't forget the people who do listen and learn to love their trees, that makes it worth it

Sean Freeman

Yes well said Polly by about 10:1 I think...ie One sane person is worth 10 idiots!

Eric Frei

That's near the same ratio of good tree companies vs bad here. LOL

Exposing another shame file

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Sean Freeman

Maybe its one of Claus's magic numbers!

polly

same here!

Eric Frei

Did he invent the 80/20 rule too? I'm going out to have a look at a tree on the sly now.

They rang for an arborists report to remove the tree earlier in the week. You know the type, the council tells them the tree is protected and they need to get an arborist report.

So they assume you get one of them off the shelf marked removal and send it in.

They bought the house new in Sept 2007 with a protected gum. They inspected the house and were told by the builder the gum was protected. So nothing dodgey here.

They buy the house now want the tree gone. After some questioning I learned the above and also the tree has not done anything bad since they lived there. But when I asked why they bought the house knowing the gum was protected the guy abanonded the need for a report using the up to $300 cost as an excuse.

So, community service day today, go have a look, get some pics, alert council to look for bogus report writers.

Also, just down from where Morrie lives is another fresh lot of topped gum trees.

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azrael

I?ve been inexplicably drawn to trees for as long as I can remember?
As a Consultant Arborist, I learned the hard way (thru lost sleep/ anxiety/ disappointment/ frustration & being entrapped into facilitation) ? that much of the vegetation and trees in urban areas - very sadly - is dispensable. Sometimes you just cannot save good and valuable trees.
I DO focus on trying optimizing the conditions for the trees that ARE left? hopefully for the life of the tree?but typically until resumed for MORE development, infrastructure etc etc etc. Yes I?ve become cynical.
As an individual, I?m unable to withstand the pressures imposed (ie state government directed) for massive residential land releases (in our region). I?ve seen truly beautiful gardens amalgamated into composite Lot developments?for sterile multi-storey developments?and I?ve seen historical properties with (Paul Sorenson) woodland plantings carved up for residential Lots?I?ve seen former dairy-farming properties also carved up (gone forever) and turned into Lego-Land?.all in the last 5 years or so. It?s so demoralizing.
I am anti-development?but it IS my bread-and-butter. In the meantime just do the best for the poor urban trees ?and rally with the like-minded for moral support.
My reparation (as a human co-existing with trees) is no longer completely dedicated to keeping ?nice? trees in urban areas??I?ve become interested in natural area protection and restoration within what I define as PERMANENT LANDSCAPES?.the ones which will NEVER be developed?and will still be there long after my great-grandkids are dead?(BTW I don?t have any yet).
Activities which bring a more positive impact in the environment (and the planet) are close to my own ethos ? protection and restoration of vegetation communities ? of which trees are an integral part (tree-huggin so to speak).
I do this through a commitment to Bush Regeneration activities in a local Landcare Group (The site is a NPWS listed Endangered Ecological Community & contains ROTAPs- Rare or Threatened Australian Plant Species).
I also dedicate a small proportion business engagement to conserve, enhance and protect the natural environment through - Riparian Vegetation Management Consultancies, Vegetation Management Plans, Weed Management Programs and very rarely the (8-part) Vegetation Assessments.
Conservation and enhancement of the integrity of natural areas?.that?s my bigger picture.

And look at my new signature??that is why I love where I live.

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Less Tree hugger pic.pdf (283.3 KB, 60 views)

Done it

People who can take pictures like this from where their computer is, 1 & 2, and their bed, 3.

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TreeDimensional

Wow Done It, great pictures, I envy you. The reason I know I'm a tree hugger is that its the only way I can stay in my area on windy days. We all walk with a permanent lean in this part of the world.

Sean Freeman

Is that your back yard Doneit? I like it very much.

Eric Frei

Azrael,

People need places to live.

The recent housing/land spike is making affordability out of reach for many.

There's a few sides to this.

Go past a flat panned development 20 years later and you have a leafy suburb.

Some of those leafy suburbs were total replants and now have a strong tree community ... trees that aren't forest remnants declining but new trees and flower exotics that are more accustomed to the new environment.

Have a look at any nursery or Bunnings on the weekend, lots of people always hang around the plants at markets too.

I'm personally more for flat panning a new urban development that paying token value to a handful of trees that will decline or absorb vast quantities of land that could make another home.

Parks incorporating a larger forest community is better, rather than leaving hazardous poor taper fringe trees.

I believe Karing-Gai council once had such crazy protection. People wanted the remnant gums out but were declined so. Then a long came a ripper storm and the damage bill was huge ... word is many approvals went through and council helped with equipment and crane hire to clean the mess up. Saving a tree? Many times it's not, it's irrational back patting and not a sustainable long term viability.

Within urban developments parks will play a larger part, with the shrinking urban block large trees almost need an entire house block to be saved.

Your eyes bear true witness and time is the judge.

The tree is "saved" and now in John Citizens yard, what parameters for care and inspection are there for the future of the tree? Tree gets miss treated or mysteriously die, gets removed anyway.

In cases where it's an exotic existing tree on a redevelopment it gets more interesting. However those trees stand a better chance as they have grown in the urban environment. These are cases on their own merits unlike say dozing 50 hectares of scrub.

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Sean Freeman

Eric believe it or not some of us actually do understand the consequences of failing to properly protect trees within urban subdivisions, and have absolutely no desire to expose anyone to the emense problems of having dying trees in their 1/4 acre block!

A big part of what I do and what I believe Azreal does is when given the opportunity to properly assess what is or is not possible to retain.

The issue for consulting Arborists seems to me to be that we are not called in to give advice and opinion at the concept stage of any subdivision...well very rarely...so when we are called in it is generally too late to try to protect the trees from damage by civils...its already happened.

Your faith in planners and Landscape Architects to put in appropriate tree species to give us leafy suburbs in 20yrs is touching but not supported by what I have seen in Qld since arriving here in 88' .

Eric Frei

Where did I mention I had faith in the above?

I did not, but I did mention that new vegetation does grow and replenish the flat panned landscape.

didn't you tell me the whole of Townsville is regrowth/replant? Same with Darwin I assume. I have pictures of Sunnybank B&W 1938 era, not a tree in sight, but now full of leaf. So within the definition, that being that new forests albeit random and chaos do replace old ... and I assume that as no-one planted the old it was a random chaos forest too.

So in that light, it is a screaming success.

The above image is Sunnybank Mains Rd McCullough Rd intersetion 1938 era.



This one is now from Google Earth.

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