By JIMENITA SWAIN, Guardian Senior Reporter

jimenita@nasguard.com

The large ficus tree whose presence once dominated the front of the main Supreme Court building, is no more.

The tree that provided shade for curious court spectators and onlookers was cut to a stump not too long ago, having died a slow death due to a practice called topping. And no one seems to know who topped the centuries old tree.

"It was a magnificent tree and a lot of people grew up under that tree," said an annoyed Joy Burrows, an environmentalist, who noted that topping the tree "is one of the worst possible things that was done to a tree." Topping trees means cutting trees back nearly to the trunk, according to landscape designer David Beaulieu. Topping is sometimes used as a less expensive alternative to the full removal of large old trees, he said, adding that if a tree "has any importance to you" that topping, in such circumstances, "is a highly disreputable procedure."

Reminiscing about the beauty of the tree in days when it thrived, Burrows, an avid tree lover, said: "That's a big loss for the country."

Ministry of Works and Department of Environmental Health officials said they were not aware of who caused the tree's demise. The common response was, "I don't know, but I know it was not us." :gi:

Typical gubment response, "'ein us!"



http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/298755296533826.php#%23%23%20template%20not%20found%20%23%23%23

Typical gubment response, "'ein us!"
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/298755296533826.php#%23%23%20template%20not%20found%20%23%23%23



Waiting for the policital hacks to say it is all the FNM fault.
:voodoo:

Are they at least going to replace it with a native hard wood tree such as Madeira or Horseflesh. The ficus tree was super but i do not think it is a native tree. Both the Madeira and Horse flesh are capable of growing to the size of the former Ficus and would provide the shade in about twenty years. Forward thinking i know is not a specialty of government but you have to with slow growing trees such as these.

There is a direct link between the trees and crime," she offered. "I don't think anyone has noticed that."

Burrows said a study conducted by the University of Chicago, Illinois looked at three areas in the inner city. One area was devoid of greenery, the other had modest greenery, and the last was full of healthy trees. "What they found out was that the one that had no greenery had the highest crime rate, the one with moderate greenery had moderate crime, and the one that had the most greenery had the lowest crime.

You know trees around here are never seen as anything appealing, or something of value, jus peice of bush that has to cleared sooner or later. It's so hot though! Just when you need shade they are cutting down the trees.

I wonder who went and cut it down. Maintianance department? Maintainance contractors? I'm sure someone saw something.

Waiting for the policital hacks to say it is all the FNM fault.
:voodoo:



Hey, didn't Controversy TV do an episode on that tree some weeks ago?
I think he had some specialist on stating that the tree is already dead.

I guess we could ask Lincoln!

Hey, didn't Controversy TV do an episode on that tree some weeks ago?
I think he had some specialist on stating that the tree is already dead.
I guess we could ask Lincoln!


Hail all BI members, been off forum for lil while na, trying to save what trees we gat leff. H'mm lemme see could Joy Burrows possibly be foxhillhgal? lol, das me, an me on wit Lincoln on Mr. Controversy T.V, the show was filmed some time back.

The Ficus tree at Bank lane was planted in the 1920's to replace a Silk Cotton
tree that meet a similar fate, only difference is the Silk succumbed due to neglect, the Ficus was helped to it's death by a severe Topping, topping is the practice where the crown of the tree is cut off, some what like a butch hair cut. ( The leaves are the trees food supply, cut off food supply, well, 1+1 = , aww you figure it out)

I have been agitating since 2005 for the powers that be to remove that tree, it really was a public liability and hazard. But ve know nuttin get done in dis country till some almost get killed or killed, then may be the light goes on. DUH!

Some of yinna might remember how when I first joined BI and spoke about tree preservation that some laughed me to scorn, but that I let roll off my back, only ting is I aint gern have no last laugh, because what effects me, effects you. We sink or swim togedder.

The reality of the matter is.........................TREES.............yes TREES impact EVERY area of our lives;

TOURISM
HEALTH
CRIME
PEACE
ECONOMICS etc.

Every thing is a part of the whole. My business A-1 Tree Services Ltd. is more than a business, it is my passion and my life, Trees are every one's business, *** wait............ you hear that, ..............listen................ you hear those chain saws, guess what? Our future is being destroyed, every body an dey Ma get one, an Jesus gette help us IF there is even a whisper that a Hurricane might come our way, whoa jack watch ya back quick money to be made na boy, wa ya say, erryting fer sale eh? Jes long as you can make a dollar bey, u go right ahead.

I have drawn my proverbial line in the sand, my life is not to chase the almighty dollar, na iffen you say The ALL MIGHTY JAH den bey you right, HE is good all da time, where as me, ah bey chief sinner, but He has made me to love and respect others and our environment.

Wake up NOW my brothers, my sisters, we can change the tide, one join hands with the other, let us all help raise an awareness, let us be our brothers keeper.

** SunnyJohn, please bring one big umbrella iffen you gern set up mobile tuck shop, een no mo trees gal, going, going.............soon gone!

Joy aka foxhillgal

jburrows@A1treepeople.com
www.A1treepeople.com

:sailing:

Foxhillgal,

I 'ein ga laugh at ya.

We have one of the last undisturbed sub-tropical forests in Andros. The Big Yard is our version of the Amazon rain forest. Heck, the plant in there are a pharmaceutical treasure trove!. The orchids make grown men weep!

I won't even get into the trees on other islands and right in our neighborhoods.

Instead of cutting everything down in fear of hurricane I wish folks would plan ahead and prune seasonally. Instead of slashing everything to build a new group of houses, plan and remove accordingly.

Nature affect society. Look around at those crime ridden areas. Keep yourself and your environment clean and green.


~~

Foxhillgal,
I 'ein ga laugh at ya.
We have one of the last undisturbed sub-tropical forests in Andros. The Big Yard is our version of the Amazon rain forest. Heck, the plant in there are a pharmaceutical treasure trove!. The orchids make grown men weep!
I won't even get into the trees on other islands and right in our neighborhoods.
Instead of cutting everything down in fear of hurricane I wish folks would plan ahead and prune seasonally. Instead of slashing everything to build a new group of houses, plan and remove accordingly.
Nature affect society. Look around at those crime ridden areas. Keep yourself and your environment clean and green.~~

SunnyJohn, I have been to Andros a few times, first time I was blown away, man the Trees, wow, I drove around and was in awe, the Jumbay were actually TREES, never in my life have I seen Jumbay in tree form and the height, again wow.
We went over to preserve/repair/protect some lovely trees on base. Every tree of every kind Andros have, can I say wow again.
But what really disturbed me was the new constuction and some old, just clear cutting, one big oogly patch of quarry, house in direct sun, woe!
When one operates in fear/ignorance you are bound to loose. Selective pruning can be done 365 days of the year.
God had a plan, He put every thing in place, our trees, with a little maitinence, often fare very well in storms, they are built to with stand most storms, selective trimming ensures that "windows" are in place to help with airflow. Basicly if a tree is to full or full sayle, it is more likely to come down in high winds, there are no tap roots, just spread onto our lime stone, the big trees are the first to come down in storm.
I can say though that since we started selectivly pruning trees roughly 10 years ago, not one of "my" Trees has come down.
And iffen we can get people to consider trees outside of hurricane season would be a plus.
I will be on Island FM wit Chrissy an Eddie this coming Friday morning(27th), I think between 7 - 9 AM not really sure, but some where in that time period.
Keep on keepin on.

Hail all BI members, been off forum for lil while na, trying to save what trees we gat leff. H'mm lemme see could Joy Burrows possibly be foxhillhgal? lol, das me, an me on wit Lincoln on Mr. Controversy T.V, the show was filmed some time back.
The Ficus tree at Bank lane was planted in the 1920's to replace a Silk Cotton
tree that meet a similar fate, only difference is the Silk succumbed due to neglect, the Ficus was helped to it's death by a severe Topping, topping is the practice where the crown of the tree is cut off, some what like a butch hair cut. ( The leaves are the trees food supply, cut off food supply, well, 1+1 = , aww you figure it out)
I have been agitating since 2005 for the powers that be to remove that tree, it really was a public liability and hazard. But ve know nuttin get done in dis country till some almost get killed or killed, then may be the light goes on. DUH!
Some of yinna might remember how when I first joined BI and spoke about tree preservation that some laughed me to scorn, but that I let roll off my back, only ting is I aint gern have no last laugh, because what effects me, effects you. We sink or swim togedder.
The reality of the matter is.........................TREES.............yes TREES impact EVERY area of our lives;
TOURISM
HEALTH
CRIME
PEACE
ECONOMICS etc.
Every thing is a part of the whole. My business A-1 Tree Services Ltd. is more than a business, it is my passion and my life, Trees are every one's business, *** wait............ you hear that, ..............listen................ you hear those chain saws, guess what? Our future is being destroyed, every body an dey Ma get one, an Jesus gette help us IF there is even a whisper that a Hurricane might come our way, whoa jack watch ya back quick money to be made na boy, wa ya say, erryting fer sale eh? Jes long as you can make a dollar bey, u go right ahead.
I have drawn my proverbial line in the sand, my life is not to chase the almighty dollar, na iffen you say The ALL MIGHTY JAH den bey you right, HE is good all da time, where as me, ah bey chief sinner, but He has made me to love and respect others and our environment.
Wake up NOW my brothers, my sisters, we can change the tide, one join hands with the other, let us all help raise an awareness, let us be our brothers keeper.
** SunnyJohn, please bring one big umbrella iffen you gern set up mobile tuck shop, een no mo trees gal, going, going.............soon gone!
Joy aka foxhillgal
jburrows@A1treepeople.com
www.A1treepeople.com
:sailing:



So according to you, the mysterious person or persons that cut down the tree did us a big favour because of the state of the tree(dead and an accident waiting to happen)?

[QUOTE=Garfield]
So according to you, the mysterious person or persons that cut down the tree did us a big favour because of the state of the tree(dead and an accident waiting to happen)?
[/QUOTE

I have not seen the Tree on Bank Lane recently, did they cut down the whole tree, if they did, it was the right thing to do. Because the tree was topped
(wrong thing to do) the elements and disease took over, killed the tree, and made it a liability and hazard.

So if it was indeed cut down, I would be able to breath easier, for many persons still set underneath that tree.

What we have to do now is replant, and then follow up with regular care.

We all my plant trees, maybe water and fertilize them, and that is where the care ends. Just as one would normaly groom them selves, same for trees, trees are trimmed for their health and there beauty.

That Ficus was about 85 years old, but look around, Hospital, trees butcherd, Cable Beach strip/median, wanna see the early signs of a dying tree?
The roundabout Cable Beach, opposite Sandles, look at the grotesque limbs on top of that tree(called Die Back), notice also if you will, how healthy and FULL the rest of the tree appears. This will go the way of Ficus on Bank Lane, so what............just a tree, we met them here, but u can bet ur bottom dollar we een leaving them, just a free for all, so what if the stupid thing wasted 50-80 years just growing, dang we dont care for OUR old folks, why the heck should we for a stupid tree.

Note the lack of airflow, one ball of leaves, the tree cannot "breath".

Don't bring out the popcorn just yet as this tree will take a few more years before it manifest to the unlearned eye that it is indeed DEAD!

Every where you look you see destruction. You "see" it every day, but not aware, but all this destruction adds to our aggresion levels.

My heart is heavy, I wish some one could hear me. Sigh!:realmad:

So if they had not topped the tree, it would not have been overtaken by disease and weather?

So if they had not topped the tree, it would not have been overtaken by disease and weather?

I am not saying that, everything lives in cycles, you live, you die.
Just a very crude analogy, one goes to barber/beauty salon and ask for a light trim, but the stylist/barber being ignorant thinks "Maybe the problem would be best solved if I just cut the head off from the neck"
Another one.... lets just say there are 3 people waiting for a "trim" all three
have their head cut off, that is guaranteed death, one might just die out right, one may jiggle a little longer than the other, but death is the result.
Tree topping is just that, accelerating the cycle, death is quicker.
Problems as I see it.
Tree Topping removal of the crown/head
Felling of healthy trees, for no good reason, other then "They drop leaves" or something of that nature.
Neglect. This one surprises most people that we need to "CARE" for our environment.
It really is hard for me to articulate with mere words, that is why I speak to Rotary Clubs/Garden Clubs, any one who will listen really. I not only speak, or I should say my power point speaks more eloquently than I ever could, after all a picture is worth a thousand words.
I need to update my website, maybe see if I could a my power point, dunno, I am only the Tree Lady, so if any one could advise me on this, I would be grateful.
All for one, and one for all.
Love & Peace
Joy

I am not saying that, everything lives in cycles, you live, you die.
Just a very crude analogy, one goes to barber/beauty salon and ask for a light trim, but the stylist/barber being ignorant thinks "Maybe the problem would be best solved if I just cut the head off from the neck"
Another one.... lets just say there are 3 people waiting for a "trim" all three
have their head cut off, that is guaranteed death, one might just die out right, one may jiggle a little longer than the other, but death is the result.
Tree topping is just that, accelerating the cycle, death is quicker.
Problems as I see it.
Tree Topping removal of the crown/head
Felling of healthy trees, for no good reason, other then "They drop leaves" or something of that nature.
Neglect. This one surprises most people that we need to "CARE" for our environment.
It really is hard for me to articulate with mere words, that is why I speak to Rotary Clubs/Garden Clubs, any one who will listen really. I not only speak, or I should say my power point speaks more eloquently than I ever could, after all a picture is worth a thousand words.
I need to update my website, maybe see if I could a my power point, dunno, I am only the Tree Lady, so if any one could advise me on this, I would be grateful.
All for one, and one for all.
Love & Peace
Joy



WOW!
You may truly be God's official representative or guardian in the Bahamas for Mother Nature!
Godspeed.