It's a tale as old as, well, trees: the faceoff between an old, established tree and a human who wants to cut it down.
Luckily for one beech tree in Pennsylvania, it had an ally in its property owner.
"I have this incredible tree in my front yard," they wrote on Reddit in the r/arborists community, including a photo of the majestic, multi-trunked tree. "Neighbors wanted it seriously trimmed or cut down because they believe the family of 5 Cooper's hawks that live in its canopy are going to attack their 100lb golden retriever."
The original poster doubted that the hawks — which are a mid-sized species, per Audubon.org — were a threat to the dog. They also refused to consider trimming or killing such a beautiful, established tree.
"I know it probably takes a lifetime for them to get this size," they wrote, "but I'm in love with the look of this tree and want to plant more here in the future."
Commenters were equally enamored with the enormous beech. "She's an absolute beaut," one person wrote.
"Leave that beauty be, please," another echoed. One person even joked: "Chop down the neighbor!"
But trees aren't just beautiful. They're critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees "clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths in urban areas."
Trees also boost the mental health of people who live and spend time among them, per a study cited by The Nature Conservancy.
In fact, illegally cutting down trees comes with consequences. Whether it's on your property, someone else's, or — in some baffling cases — protected public land, destroying trees typically results in hefty fines and sometimes jail time.
Stories of hawks swooping from their nests may be disconcerting for pet owners, but one biologist assured ABC4 after an incident in Utah last August that the birds likely view dogs as a threat rather than food.
"It's a time of year that we do get a lot of calls reporting a hawk, either, like, swooping at a person or swooping in a small animal or, you know, a dog, a chicken, a cat, or something like that," said Adam Brewerton, who works with the state's Division of Wildlife Resources. "... They see the pet or person or whatever it is as a threat to either itself or to its young."
Brewerton also suggested staying outside with small pets when hawks are around. Reporting nuisance animals to the proper authorities can also help officials determine whether relocation is in the best interest of the creatures.
Meanwhile, Redditors were all-in on protecting the majestic, centuries-old tree.
"Defend it with your life!" one person said, supporting the OP's staunch opposition to removing the tree.
"Most beautiful thing I've seen today," another agreed. "Treasure this tree."
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