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I pass a couple of small groves of mature trees on my 
almost daily trip to take my youngest daughter to school. I love these mature trees, and the local hawks are seen daily in their branches as they scout for prey. Some of the trees had nests, all of them were in harmony with the landscape. We live in a semi-arid region which is flat with few native trees. The residential areas have skinny young trees – nothing old and majestic. None of those trees are taller than the houses around here, so the mature trees on the edge of a farmer’s field were a lovely contrast. When you don’t have many trees, you appreciate what you have.
And when they’re gone, it hurts. I was mortified at the recent destruction of these grand old trees. It physically hurts me to drive by them. Gone. They left one old tree and the rest were chopped down and cut up.
I saw the wood chipper arrive one day for the smaller branches while the larger logs were cut into manageable segments with a sign giving them away.
Where will the hawks nest now? Where will they sit and watch the world?
Peace With My Life 
It happens everywhere. Sadly, a lot of our urban trees here have been cut down because they were growing too close to utility lines.
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Here, most of the modern utilities are under ground. Trees grow slowly; we don’t get much rain. The hawks adapt, but I’m kind of pissed.
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The ironic thing here is that the utility company will chop down all the trees and then, a couple of years later, underground the utilities. All are supposed to be underground by 2035.
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That’s not only all wrong , it’s not very bright….
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I’m like you, I always feel physical pain when I see a tree I love cut down. They destroyed one of my favourite patches of forest, clearing the trees away in order to put in a new apartment complex called “Green Village”, ironically. I used to run on those deer trails every day and I didn’t know about the construction until I was running through one day and was shocked by a barren patch of earth where an entire forest had been.
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Yes, I had a very physical, visceral reaction. I’m sorry to hear that you’ve experienced this too. Good to hear from you again; I thought you ‘d given up on me!
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No never! I just get swamped. I’m sorry I take so long to comment on your posts.
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Thanks so much for sharing — when I see such events, it hurts my heart as well. There’s no other way to explain it. So much life, so much age — and so much life they in turn support — destroyed in one ignorant and cruel swoop. We need to change our perspectives with regards to how much we need these magnificent creations.
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If they are doing construction nearby, the trees would have died a slow death anyway. It often takes large old established trees five years to die. The construction changes the watershed, the ground level and compaction of the ground, and even the atmosphere. It is very painful to witness the changes. Where will the hawks go? They will fly to another home where they and their babies will be safer. One wonders if changing homes is as difficult for them as it is for people. If the people don’t come to this place where the trees were taken down, where would they go? They may even cause the removable of a more beautiful place elsewhere. Just a thought. We all have to share the earth and like sharing anywhere, it isn’t always easy. Someone loses, someone gains. Pollyanna says everyone should gain; it just isn’t often the case.
I am so glad that you got to enjoy the lovely hawks and trees for even awhile.
Mom
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Excellent food for thought. Thank you for a different point of view.
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It makes me very sad to see mature trees chopped down. It takes so long to replace them.
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Yes, they were such a vital part of our ecology. Even worse, I think that they were cut for convenience, nothing more. The construction is further away.
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oh, no! i felt the ominous tone of your post, but didn’t expect the punch in the gut when the trees came down. i can’t imagine how painful it must be to see them landscape without them.
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I am still shocked, every time I drive by.
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That is too sad. Why on earth did they do it if they just gave the wood away? The canals here in France are losing all their plane trees. For once it’s not due to man’s destructive nature – it’s a tree illness they caught from the boxes that the US army shipped their munitions in during WWII. It’s heartbreaking to see them go. Luckily they are being replaced but it will take decades for them to reach anything like the majestic height they are now.
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They are constructing something on the land. I have great pics of the large earth-moving equipment, but felt they were too depressing to post.
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Know what you mean.
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I’m sad to see this happening. I love trees as well. Beautiful photos though Karel.
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Thank you . I had such mixed feelings when I saw how beautiful the snow made the stumps that had been raw, ugly assaults on the eyes the day before. It added an element of grace that made me think of the circle of life. Yet, their lives were prematurely, brutally terminated. Not the same. But the Earth blesses us all with beauty nonetheless.
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So well said and so true! I saw the sadness of the stumps robed with the beauty of the snow as well.
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