Tree Weaver

A suspect has been arrested over the illegal felling of more than 130 protected oaks at a popular London beauty spot in what locals have dubbed a ‘tree massacre’.

Angry conservationists branded the destruction as a ‘tree massacre’ and have tied black ribbons to railings around the field.

The trees were felled last Saturday morning despite them being covered by a Tree Protection Order (TPO), which only came into force three days earlier.

The first the local residents knew of the destruction was when they heard the sound of chainsaws coming from woodland next to Cator Park, which is popular with dog walkers and bird watchers.

Witnesses claimed the workmen – who were not believed to be using any safety equipment – posted guards on the entrance gate to prevent anyone intervening and their behaviour was threatening.

Police were called and they warned the workmen to stop but the felling resumed when officers left the scene. It was only after police returned that the destruction was halted.

A man in his thirties was arrested and cutting equipment seized. Locals even blocked a low loader from trying to access the site through the public park by blocking the route with a car.

The land – which is a haven for wildlife including bats, woodpeckers and kingfishers – is privately owned and was purchased by its current owners – registered to a firm based in Singapore – for £10,000 in 2013.

But it is also designated as Metropolitan Open Land by Bromley Council, giving it the same status as ‘green belt’ land.

Conservationists said a Tree Protection Order (TPO) had been granted on the site after a number of trees were felled weeks earlier.

Michael Shilling, who lives near the scene, said: ‘It is awful – someone used the word ‘massacre’ and that is what best describes it. ‘Bulldozers were stopped from entering the site by the police after local residents raised the alarm. ‘There was a rumour that someone wanted to turn it into some kind of sports field, but the area is very popular with local people walking their dogs, and is also popular with birdwatchers too.’

A spokesman for Bromley Council said: ‘We are aware of this very sad incident, which can only be described as environmental destruction, where protected trees have been destroyed. ‘This was a thriving young woodland that was valued by many locally and we are now investigating what has happened here.

This is a serious matter, with anyone who is found guilty of committing an offence which contravenes Section 210 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 being fined up to £20,000 at a Magistrates Court or an unlimited fine at Crown Court.’ The spokesman added: ‘We are grateful to local residents who have already come forward to help with that investigation, which is at its early stages.’

Many of the 131 trees felled were around 20 to 25 years old. It is a haven for wildlife including woodpeckers, owls, kingfishers, egrets, slow worms and stag beetles. The local community are now investigating ways to better protect the site.

Conservation charity CPRE London has contacted Bromley Council, the Forestry Commission and Environment Agency to establish what laws and regulations have been broken.

Anna Taylor, the charity’s director, said: ‘This is a devastating attack on our environment, biodiversity and frankly, the community. ‘It is a much-loved area, and is normally a very tranquil space, set back from the road, where people go to spend a bit of time away from it all. ‘Tragically, the TPO didn’t deter the crew from felling these protected trees. It will take decades to restore.’ She added: ‘Occasionally, developers try to get Metropolitan Open Land released from its protective status.

‘This is only allowed in exceptional circumstances and with permission from the Council and Mayor of London. ‘It is extraordinarily unlikely this site would have ever been de-designated given its natural richness and lack of road access. ‘This eco-atrocity will also now harden the view of the authorities against any such approach.’

Earlier this year a council leader in Plymouth quit after ordering the felling of 110 healthy trees under cover of darkness. Richard Bingley, who signed an executive order for Plymouth City Council to press ahead with the felling, had been due to face a vote of no confidence.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12197903/Man-arrested-131-protected-oaks-illegally-chopped-Cator-Park-south-east-London.html

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/131-protected-trees-felled-in-devastating-attack-on-bromley-park/

We’re a not-for-profit organisation working to give more children in South Yorkshire and beyond the opportunity to get outdoors and interact with nature, such as by planting a tree – or a few!

At the start of 2020 we, a small group of (tired!) mums, set out to do something practical with our families, to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crises by helping nature on our doorstep.

We knew we’d hit on something when our first tree planting event was attended by over 120 people of all ages – from toddlers to grandparents! Covid stopped us in our tracks for a while but as soon as we could, we got back out there planting trees with various groups across Sheffield and the surrounding area. We started working with schools to improve their outside spaces to benefit nature and the wellbeing of pupils (and staff too).

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and very excited about our plans for the years ahead, now we’re established as a social enterprise.

Our Green School Programme

What is the Green School programme?
A programme of events that gives primary schools a chance to improve their field or playground for the wellbeing of pupils, staff and wildlife. With lots of learning, creativity and fun along the way! It includes:

*. Our energising ‘Be a Tree’ assembly
*. Ideas and design sessions in class
*. Outdoor nature exploration sessions
*. Tree planting and other practical outdoor experiences
*. Support with fundraising for projects, if needed
*. Creation or development of a nature friendly area
*. Follow up visits to help schools look after their green space

Why are we doing it?
We want to give more children aged under 11 easy access to nature by working with schools that meet one or more of our selection criteria (see below). We also want to give kids a say on the outdoor spaces where they play or spend time. We want to empower them by giving them the skills and knowledge to create and look after their new space.

How does it work?
Our experts deliver special assemblies to inspire pupils to think more imaginatively about their interactions with nature. We lead workshops where the children and staff can share their ideas for what they’d like to see in a new green space at their school. We then help to bring their amazing ideas to life.

Who’s eligible?
To be eligible for our free Green School programme, a school must be located in South Yorkshire and meet one or more of the following selection criteria:

*. Located in a high area of deprivation according to Index of Multiple Deprivation
*. School grounds consisting of a concrete playground, with little to no green space
*. Close proximity to busy roads
*. Higher than average number of children on Pupil Premium, with special educational needs (SEN) or English as Additional Language

How do we measure impact?
We gather qualitative and quantitative research from pupils and staff at schools at the start of the programme and again towards the end of the programme. We do this in an imaginative way, with fun feedback sheets and carrying out impact events in the spaces we help them create.

How much does it cost the school?
Our basic Green School programme costs £1,800. However, we aim to provide our services free of charge to eligible schools up to the point of creation of the new space, regardless of whether the school is Local Authority or part of an Academy Trust. Where no available budget is available from the school to deliver the project, we will provide fundraising support to raise the target amount required. Each project cost will vary depending on the scope and design of the space available.

What if a school isn’t eligible for the free programme?
We are open to working with any school in Sheffield or the surrounding area, if the school is able to cover the cost of the basic programme (£1,800) plus any additional elements required and is able to raise funds for project delivery if not already available from school budget.

We work with businesses and organisations, including community groups and local authorities, to bring children and families together to create or improve their local green space, to enhance their lives and give nature a helping hand. Whether we create a wild play area or plant a community orchard, we do it with and for the people who use the space.

To date, we’ve planted over 6000 trees and improved 5 public spaces for the benefit of nature and people. We aim to provide ongoing opportunities for children and their families to spend time outside, build a connection with nature, and do something practical to help wildlife on their doorstep. In 2022, we launched our Green Community package for businesses with land they want to improve for nature and the local community, such as those in the construction and land development sector.

Our Green Community Package

What is the Green Community package?
A package of services and events that gives businesses and other organisations a chance to improve their community’s green space for the wellbeing of people who use it and local wildlife. It normally includes:

*. A site visit to discuss the project
*. Consultation event to give members of the community a say
*. Proposal and designs for the space, based on previous consultation
*. Project delivery events with community involvement, e.g. tree planting days
*. Follow up visits to help the community look after their green space
*. Impact measurement for corporate social responsibility (CSR)

When you buy our Green Community package, you enable us to provide our Green School programme for free at a school who really needs our help.

Why are we doing it?
We want to give more children and families easy access to nature by helping communities to create or improve green space on their doorstep. We want to give kids a say on the outdoor spaces where they play or spend time. We also want to empower them by giving them the skills and knowledge to create and look after their green space.

How does it work?
Our experts deliver consultation events to give children (and their grown-ups) a chance to express what they want and need from their local green space, and how it can benefit wildlife. We then help to bring their amazing ideas to life.

Who’s it for?
This service is primarily aimed at businesses that are responsible for a particular community – such as home builders and land regeneration companies. However, we also welcome enquiries from community groups, local authorities and other organisations.

How do we measure impact?
We gather qualitative and quantitative research from people in the community at the start of the project and again once the community has had time to get to know and use their new or improved green space. We do this in an imaginative way, with fun feedback methods and carrying out impact events in the spaces we help them create.

How much does it cost?
Our basic Green Community package starts at £4,000, up to the point of creation/development of the green space. Each project cost will vary depending on the scope and design of the space available. For community groups and other not-for-profit organisations, we can support you to find funding to cover the cost of the package and project delivery.

If you would like to get involved or just want to find out more, please email us at admin@kidsplanttrees.org

Bees are ‘the wings of the mineral kingdom’, the voices of the plants, the midwives of fruits and berries. In biodynamic thinking, the minerals are always on the move, working to heal the planet and to produce abundant life. Weeds are their helpers, moving in to torn up areas to bring in the minerals the area needs to restore itself to full fertility. Bees essentially move the minerals into their new landscapes by pollinating the best of the best plants, and ensuring that they will continue to  seed and thrive. In the work of the plants—generated by the gifts of the bees—Earth is restored one mineral at a time. When plants/weeds are no longer needed in an area and begin to become less productive as the minerals change and shift beneath them, the bees don’t bother to pollinate these weakening plants, ensuring that they will die out to be replaced by other plants that can now better serve in that particular niche ~ Susan Knilans.

They work tirelessly to ensure that the cycles of life on this planet continue; their reward is that of being close to the humming mysteries of creation. These creatures live within a universe of frequencies and sensitivities that connect them deep into the ground, all around the planet, and even to the other planets and stars of our solar system. They listen with their very souls, and hear the messages that the life-force sends to all beings ~ sonkri04

The Sumerian stele above is one of many believed by alternative history writers to depict figures of alien origin. However, more measured interpretations believe that this scene, and others like it, depict the worship of the Mother Goddess, manifest as a Queen Bee or Bee Goddess; a figure who is frequently adorned by her followers – the Bee Priestesses. This should not be viewed as unusual, for honey was regarded by Sumerian physicians as a unique and vital medicinal drug. In fact, it has been suggested that the Sumerians invented Apitherapy, or the medical use of Honey Bee products such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis and bee venom. And least we forget, it was the Bee that led ancient man to the plants whose hallucinogens transported consciousness into the spirit world of the gods.

The Bee featured prominently in another ancient culture – the Dogon, a tribe from the West African region of Mali whose Nommo ancestors and Sirian mythology were made famous by Robert Temple in his book, The Sirius Mystery. The Dogon belief system is ancient, and until approximately 140 AD, its zodiac featured the Bee as the symbol of the constellation presently occupied by Libra. The Bee’s position in the Dogon Zodiac is significant to esoteric thought leaders such as Cabalists, who recognize the Bee’s role in establishing balance and harmony in the zodiac – and in life ~ Andrew Gough.

“As summer open out in the Northern Hemisphere, we can clearly see the two levels or layers on Earth : The Old that is becoming increasingly dystopian and the New which is returning to the original template for Sacred Earth or New Earth.

At the moment, there is large scale air pollution in New York City and the East Coast of the USA, and large scale flooding in South Eastern Ukraine as a result of the destruction of a dam near Kherson.
Nature is showing us where we need to do better and create a New Reality and a New Earth.

As New Earth Humans and Angelic Humans, we can work with our Angelic families and with the Elementals of Nature to bring balance back to the Earth. Remember the balance that you are, and that you can hold that balance in your heart.

Work With the Sylphs (Air) and Undines (water) to bring balance and healing to the planet. Hold Peace and Love and Harmony in your Heart so that it may create these energies on the Earth.

May Peace prevail on Earth.
From the Fire may the Phoenix Arise! May all things be reborn to a higher frequency!
From the Water may there be cleansing and the return of Love!

May the New Earth be born in the Hearts of Humanity and on the Earth.
Much love and safety to all my Light Family in the affected areas of USA and Ukraine” ~ Celia Fenn

Dane Licina loves spending time in the forest. He combines his love of hiking with his love for carving. He finds storm fallen timber on his hikes and carve spoons, axing them out in the woods and carving later with special knives. He decorates them with a technique called kolrosing. Lines are cut in with the tip of a knife and filled in with finely ground coffee and sealed with linseed oil. His favourite choice of wood would be wild cherry.

“Here’s one for those who love colour more. I took this one back in December. I was hiking up to my cherry stash when the low sun appeared through the trees. Always so welcomed during the cold months in the woods”.

Honey dipper and coffee scoop combo set with one of his favorite designs, gajeta falkusa, traditional fishing boat used by fishermen from the town of Komiža on the Adriatic island of Vis

Kolrosing time. He draws all the designs freehand, then he cuts the lines with the tip of a knife, oil with food grade flaxseed (linseed) oil and fill in with finely ground coffee.

On a cold winter day on the mountain Dane will axe a bunch of spoons outside on the spot but carve them back home.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009845259007

https://youtube.com/@danesspoons5833

Whether a standing snag or a rotting log, dead trees play an essential role in sustaining life around them. It’s important for anyone who cares about the planet’s health to understand why a fallen tree found in nature is so essential to maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystem around it.

Tree Lifespans
The lifespan of North American trees varies greatly depending on their species and circumstances.

For example, the grey birch has a lifespan of only 30-50 years and is among those with the shortest lifespans. On the other hand, Great Basin bristlecone pines can live for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest living individual organism in the world is a Great Basin bristlecone pine still living in the White Mountains of California that is over 5,000 years old! The exact location is protected.

While trees can live for tens, or hundreds, or thousands of years because they continually produce new tissues and adapt to their surroundings, the reality is that most succumb far earlier due to injury and disease (and sometimes both).

What is Tree Decay?
Decay is simply the process of rotting or decomposition.

The terms tree decay and tree decomposition can be used interchangeably to describe a biological process where wood’s cellulose and lignin convert to carbon dioxide and water, and the remaining nutrients are simply released into the soil.

Conditions that Cause Tree Decay

Wounds
Tree wounds occur when a tree is injured, and they can limit the tree’s ability to take in water or food properly and protect itself from infection, infestation, or disease.

The two basic types of tree wounding are stubs and scars.

Stubs
A stub is created when tree branches or tops break off or die. They can stick out from the stem and prevent the wound from closing and healing or leave a giant hole, both of which invite decay.

Storms with intense winds commonly knock tree branches off and cause stubbing.

Scars
When bark is removed or dies off, scars can leave the inside of the tree exposed to decay.

Animals and humans can cause tree scarring. Bucks rub their scent on trees to attract does during the mating season. Black bears shimmy up against trees to remove their winter coats and communicate with other bears by leaving their scent-marks along trunks. If you have ever seen someone’s “Harry loves Sally” declaration carved into a trunk, this is yet another form of tree scarring that leaves a tree more prone to decay.

Wherever wood is cracked open, insects like sugar maple borers or bark beetles can come in and weaken the tree further. Birds like sapsuckers and woodpeckers also drill into wound sites and deepen cavities.

Root Damage
When roots don’t get enough oxygen or the right amount of water or break off, this sets the stage for decay to begin underground or on another part of the tree linked to the affected roots.

What Does Tree Decomposition Look Like?

Many fungi, like the Armillaria, make their way onto decaying wood and other organic matter using microscopic spores that can drift in the air for long distances.

Fungi will often inhabit a tree, living within them their whole life, only becoming active later, when the tree becomes old or stressed. Other fungi form symbiotic relationships with trees, like the fly agaric, the classic white-spotted red toadstool, that grows around the roots of birch or pine and protects them against parasitic species.

However, most often when we see a fungus on the side of a tree it spells some level of trouble for the tree, like heart rot in an aspen.

Fungi can commonly spread by extending their networks of microscopic branches (called hyphae). As fungi spread their hyphae along a dying or dead tree, it releases enzymes that break down wood and, at the same time, allows the fungus to feed on it. Mushrooms later pop up from the hyphae as the fruiting bodies of the fungus.

As decay advances, more organisms come along to assist, such as bacteria and invertebrates, including slugs, beetles, woodlice, and millipedes. Organisms that feed on decaying organic matter are called detritivores. As these creatures feed on the wood, they open it up to increased moisture, causing it to get wetter, which helps it fall apart and decompose even faster. Mold also grows on wood – another example of a detritivore.

Once rotten wood starts mixing in with the soil, springtails and earthworms show up to feast on it. Fungi convert the wood’s cellulose and lignin into softer tissues that then decompose as the fungi’s fruiting bodies die.

Other Signs of Tree Decomposition
Live trees can also rot from the inside out, making signs of decay trickier to spot. Besides the signs of wounding mentioned earlier to look out for, here are some tips for spotting a tree that might be rotting internally:

White, Brown, or Soft Rot
There are three types of tree rot brought on by fungi: white rot, brown rot, and soft rot. Each causes the wood of a tree to appear differently and can often be observed in sticks and logs on the ground.

For example, white rot is present when wood appears lighter in color because the fungi feed on the lignin. It can also look fibrous since cellulose remains intact longer. The paper industry occasionally uses this natural, sustainable phenomenon to brighten sheets of paper by introducing white-rot fungi that feed on the lignin of wood chips before it’s processed into pulp, a process referred as biobleaching.

Likewise, brown rot can make wood look crumbly and browner in color when greater amounts of lignin are left behind.

Not as much is known about soft rot, but it occurs when a fungus uses enzymes and nitrogen in the soil to break down cellulose. It can appear similar to brown rot since it also does not target lignin and causes wood to take on a crumby, cubic appearance. Soft rotting logs are often partially buried in soil, giving fungus access to nitrogen from the soil.

Development of Fungi and Mushrooms
There are an awful lot of fungi and mushroom varieties that feed on wood.

Soft or Brittle Wood
When a tree is in a weakened state, soft wood can easily fall apart, and brittle bark or branches tend to crack or tear off easily.

Discoloured Leaves
Out-of-season, off-color leaves can be a sign of many things, including water or nutrient shortages, fungal or insect infestation, or mechanical damage to the branch, trunk or roots. In all cases, it is a sign of stress, and could lead to decay.

The Rate of Decomposition
Since trees are woody, their fibers are tougher to break down than non-woody plants, so they take longer to decompose.

There are countless factors that can determine the rate at which a tree decomposes. It may be affected by tree characteristics (species, age), climate (temperature, precipitation), and other circumstances. The tougher the species of tree, the longer the decay process. The wetter its surroundings, the faster a tree can rot. If surroundings are dry, fewer fungi and insects are active to break down wood, so the process can take far longer.

How a Fallen Tree Provides Life

Nutrients and Food Sources
The nutrients a tree used to build itself during its lifetime are spread into the soil and make it richer for other plants around it to use. These nutrients are essential for small trees to grow and replace the dead ones.

Fallen trees also sustain the many detritivores that feed on the decaying wood, like fungi and beetles, earthworms, etc. This means that other animals that prey on those detritivores also benefit, like the robber fly that eats beetles. In turn, the predators of those predators can also find food (like birds and bats) and so on.

More Light and Space. The space left by a fallen tree allows more light to reach the forest floor as well as space for other vegetation to take root and flourish. If a tree falls and takes others down with it, this helps the plants around it even further.

Shelter
Hollow logs are used by bears and smaller animals like foxes for making their dens. Also, a great variety of detritivores make their home in decaying wood, like millipedes and slugs.

https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/what-happens-trees-fall-forest

THE 3 TYPES OF PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE:

1. The Leaf people
2. The Branch people
3. The Root people

LEAF PEOPLE: These are people who come into your life just for a season. You can’t depend on them because they are weak. They only come to take what they want, but if the wind comes they will leave.

You need to be careful of these people because they love you when things are okay, but when the wind comes they will leave you.

BRANCH PEOPLE: They are strong, but you need to be careful with them too. They break away when life becomes tough and they can’t handle too much weight. They may stay with you in some seasons, but they will go when it becomes harder.

ROOT PEOPLE: These people are very important because they don’t do things to be seen. They are supportive even if you go through a difficult time they will water you and they are not moved by your position they just love you like that …

It’s not all people you meet or are your friends, that will stay with you.

Only the root type of people will stay no matter the season.

Author Madea

I spend a lot of my day looking down, as I think many of us do. We look down at phones, computer screens, and books. We direct our gaze toward the sidewalk as we rush to our next destination, smile at dogs walking by our feet, or stop to observe the wildflowers on our path. Even on beautiful hikes through the forest, I’ve caught myself fixating on the ground as my feet navigate rocks and roots, trying not to trip. It’s easy to go a whole day without really looking up. But when I do, I’m always impressed by what I see.

Day and night, the sky offers a constant, everchanging gift. The clouds shift into all sorts of shapes, some bright and buoyant, others dark and looming. The sun colors all around it with shades of pink, red, purple, and orange as it rises and sets. The moon changes each day — sometimes it’s barely visible, a tiny stroke of light, other times it shows up full, bright, and round. The stars glow like little lights left on to help us find our way home.

When I’m really caught up — in a thought, emotion, or situation — I like to remind myself to look up. However the sky has chosen to appear, looking up always offers a reminder that there’s more to this world than me and my own problems. The three pieces in this Weekend Reader draw inspiration from that same sky, reminding us that we all exist under this vast and wonderful canopy. May they remind you, when your head hangs down, to simply look up.

—Lilly Greenblatt, associate editor, LionsRoar.com