A Reddit post has shed light on a troubling act of environmental destruction in one California neighborhood — and the resulting conversation could help if you ever witness a similar act.
In the post, a resident detailed how they watched their landlord's gardeners butcher two public trees. The Redditor included photos of the once-lush trees, which now are more like twigs with branches cut at awkward angles.
"I saw my landlord neighbor instructing her Gardners to trim these 25 foot tall beautiful shade trees that are on the strip of grass between the sidewalk and stree," the original poster explained. "I asked if they were with the city and they said no, I said there are fines for people cutting government owned trees. They continued for an hour and mutilated one tree. I thought I'd leave it alone but then they did the same to the other tree.."
The OP asked fellow Redditors if there was a way to report the damage to the city, hoping to prevent similar destruction of public trees.
"Who do you contact from the city or other authority to report?" they asked.
Neighbors often make destructive landscaping decisions that hurt the local environment. While damaging two trees may not seem like a major loss, any destruction of trees or plants is a blow to the health of our planet.
Trees are essential to the health of communities in unexpected ways. A lush collection of community trees can cool temperatures in an area by up to 10 degrees, per the Arbor Day Foundation. With rising global temperatures a major climate concern, trees can help protect communities from extreme heat-related conditions, including heat stroke and exhaustion.
Trees also clean the air by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, helping mitigate climate impacts, per The Nature Conservancy. Plus, healthy trees also provide homes to a diverse array of wildlife, supporting local ecosystems in key ways.
In response to the Reddit post, many commenters offered advice on who to contact to address the situation.
|
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 "I would try the city arborist," one commenter suggested. "They will most likely be the easiest to deal with then code enforcement but I've gotten the run around there before so I would recommend using email with them."
Another commenter said: "In CA depending on the city, report it to the city arborists, urban forestry dept or streets and sidewalks. Especially by email so you can include the photos. In most cities you need a permit to prune street trees so you're email can enquire if they got one."
Learning to deal with landlords and neighbors is a part of life, but so is knowing when to call in reinforcements. When the health of the planet is at stake, taking action — even if it's as simple as sending an email — can make a difference.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
