By Dr. Hildur Palsdottir
“Imagine if trees gave free wifi. We’d all be planting like crazy. It’s a pity they only give us the oxygen we breathe.” — unknown
A couple of weeks ago, with summer’s heat in final form, the temperatures hit above 90s.
Right before a thunderstorm broke the heat, our elementary school children returned after a hot day spent in rooms without air conditioning, baked and ready for their own personal meltdown.
I had walked across the street from my house to the “other side of the street.”
While waiting for the kids to hop off the school bus, my neighbor and I started speaking about street trees.
She stressed how we need to be “more reasonable.” She stated that shade trees don’t belong in our streetscape, their large canopies get stuck in the power lines.
I noticed as she made her case against large shade trees in suburban settings that she was standing beneath a majestic, mature Pin Oak.
I asked her kindly to walk with me across the street and finish our talk there, on the sunny side of the street. She didn’t want to do that in this excruciating heat. Why?
Trees help us stay cool when it’s hot, and even keep us warm when it’s cool, lowering power bills in houses they serve.
Large shade trees are also my trusted companions and cover when it rains.
It is well known that mature trees play an important role in storm-water management by reducing runoff.
Trees capture and store rainfall with their canopy (a process known as interception).
When planted and pruned responsibly, trees can reliably serve the life-giving job they were designed to do.
But, for ease and efficiency, PSEG moves in with their task force, trimming away and ignoring the natural structure of trees.
They recently left a big “V” in the canopies of trees at the first stretch of Main Street to make room for the power lines.
To me, this “V” stands for “Value.” Where are your personal values?
A million dollar grant awarded to “re-Vitalize upper Main Street” is planned to result in the removal of 19 trees.
One casualty, the Pin Oak (marked in engineers report #23) outside Wild Goose Restaurant on Main Street, was at least 2 feet in diameter, and is now gone forever (please visit and pay respect to the tree stump).
It will take half a decade to grow a suitable replacement. Planned replacement trees cannot possibly offset the immediate damage done to the ecosystem.
A healthy oak tree does so much more than provide shade; it is a host to biodiversity, assists with stormwater management and purifies the air and soil.
If you have doubts about the usefulness of street-trees please enjoy this report published by the EPA in 2013: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/stormwater2streettrees.pdf#page27
To learn about the relative value of trees please visit i-Tree tools http://www.itreetools.org/.
RIP #23, you could’ve intercepted thousands of gallons of rainwater per year, sadly your services were not recognized.
There are sustainable ways to balance power lines and trees, Great Neck secured FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program support and are moving a small portion of their wires underground.
Westhampton is working on progressive ecological design where they plan to move the wires away from trees, behind buildings and/or to parking lots.
Where does Port Washington stand?
We are already experiencing the consequences of climate change and as a waterfront community especially at risk.
The rate of deforestation worldwide is at twice the rate of reforestation.
It is appropriate to think in long-term solutions, rather than quick fixes, before extensive street-scaping projects are carried out.
It is now time to think about where you stand and consider how to be a good ancestor to our great-great grandchildren. Together we’ve got enough seeds to grow a forest.
Let’s make a concrete plan (no pun intended) to show our respect for life.
Dedicating an oak grove in suitable soil to the memory of felled trees on upper Main Street is an excellent start.
A group of concerned neighbors meets at Port Washington Public Library every fourth Wednesday of the month.
The next meeting is Wednesday Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Hagedorn Room.
Please feel welcome to join our group of eco-literate and environmentally conscious neighbors.
Most importantly, this meeting is open to moms and dads, who are not experts, but want to learn how to live sustainably.
Dr. Hildur Palsdottir, Rev., Sol Center, Port Washington.
