Showing posts with label politics and trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics and trees. Show all posts

Monday, November 2, 2009

Tree Appreciation Day 2009 in Victoria







Planting native trees in Stadacona Park on November 1st -- an exercise in current park-
transformation thinking, although slopes of lawn are also an attractive park feature, especially to lie on or walk across on summer evenings.

The trees and shrubs were provided by the provincial government's "Trees For Tomorrow" program, which plans to plant four million trees in B.C. over the next five years. Even as public money finances this, however, private money is being made by developers removing trees for building. In total, are more being planted or more cut down? "Trees for tomorrow" won't be successful if we don't rein in "paving for tomorrow."

This tall thin oak (top) newly planted under its elderly relatives, is already fifteen years old -- which shows how slowly oaks grow. Oak habitat develops slowly while housing "development" can mow it down in the blink of an eye.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Out With the New, In With the Old

North of us: behind the Malahat. A housing development next?

The day after the 2009 provincial vote: so that's that election over. "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"? Not even much sound and fury actually. We knew it was coming as per the timetable (not the desire), so a minority of voters went along, cast votes asking for no change. The Liberal government is back with its commitment to "growth and jobs". This platform is meant to make BC a "great place to raise a family," but that would be a family that cares nothing for nature.

For Victoria the city, growth means shrinkage: it means more building which eats up natural space, tree canopy, wildlife habitat, gardens, meadows ... For the wilderness it means growth in private energy schemes that kill rivers, destroying the salmon runs that the bears, whales, eagles and soil depend on. Maybe whale watching businesses will soon offer a day of something like Ogopogo-watching: a nice day on the water, but with no chance of seeing the object of the search.

But then, that can make a search all the more compelling -- the perpetual elusiveness of the quarry, the ever increasing rarity factor. Trees too are becoming more rare and more precious, both in town and in the wilderness, but as the song says, we may not know what we've got 'til it's gone. Sadly, there was no urban tree lobby active during the election, and no questioning of growth. Maybe voters are content to say goodbye paradise, hello parking lots.