AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 03
Monday, December 3, 2007
Saving trees: Getting to the root of a problem
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several months ago I wrote - in jest - that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had come to town and adopted all the trees in Sandy Springs as a way to protect them from being chopped down by developers. Now it appears we don’t need Brangelia after all - thank goodness.
A group has organized, Trees Sandy Springs, with the goal of taking care of trees around the city. Dare I say that within weeks of putting the dog park issue to bed, there is no better time to start thinking of the welfare of our trees. Get it? Dogs. Trees. Ahem.
Protecting trees around town has come a rallying point for many Sandy Springsteens in the last couple of years as residential development has exploded. Developers are buying older homes, knocking them down and building bigger and more modern houses. But along the way some were also clear-cutting the land, which meant a lot of fine old trees were disappearing without a second thought.
Now don’t get me wrong - every single tree in Sandy Springs is not sacred. There are about a dozen pines on my lot that I would gladly turn into firewood if I ever hit the lottery.
But there’s a great magnolia in our front yard that’s been here as long as the house has. And a Japanese maple that my dad and grandfather planted. I’d hate for either to be run through the chipper.
And there are dozens of hardwoods throughout our neighborhood that I would likewise hate to see dropped simply to make building a house a little easier.
A lot of those trees have been around for decades and add character and beauty to the ‘hood. Not to mention they’re home for all manner of critters. And they help clean the air. Considering the number of cars belching noxious emissions, our air can use all the help it can get.
So it’s a good thing that the trees now have their own advocates. Other than the reasons already stated for keeping them around kids need trees for climbing and for rope swings. We adults need the shade on hot days. And as I alluded to before, our dogs would really miss not having any trees.
But for those of you who really need to rip nature out by the roots, take heart. There’s plenty of kudzu around town and last I checked no one has adopted that.
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