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Trees important to communities

Re: Humans ignorantly destroying planet, Letters, July 28.

To the Editor,

Re: Humans ignorantly destroying planet, Letters, July 28.

I totally agree with Holden Southward’s letter about people’s obsession with “the view”.

There is so much beauty here on the Island and much of it comes from the lush, green, verdant vegetation.

If you want to see the ocean, either pay the big bucks for oceanfront property or go on down to the waterfront.

Trees are good for us, for our health, to help shade us, to help shelter us from the wind and rain.

They’re lovely to look at as well.

When I moved to my new subdivision, because my lot level was much higher than the one directly behind me, all of my trees were buried with their trunks three metres under soil. I was told they would die and had to have them taken down.

Then the land behind me was cleared for more houses, but these lots are smaller to enable builders to cram even more houses onto less land.

There had been talk of allowing a small corridor of green left between my backyard and the one behind me, but that didn’t happen. My fence is two metres in from my rear parcel line and I don’t miss that space at all.

Just think, if each row of houses gave up only two metres of land, we would have a corridor of six metres or more.

There would be a buffer for noise, privacy and most importantly, the little ‘Partridge family’ that parks on my fence looking so lost and alone as their habitat is destroyed, would have a place to live.

And perhaps, just perhaps, the 60 gadzillion bunnies that are thoroughly destroying my gardens, would see fit to spend more time in their own habitat.

Does Nanaimo not have city planners? Do builders not have to get permission of some sort before they carry on with their thoughtlessness?

I lived for 15 years in Jasper, Alta., where maintaining the integrity of the park was first and big bucks and business was second.

I’m not saying Nanaimo needs to be turned into a park, but it certainly doesn’t need to be turned into downtown Vancouver either.

As for me, I’m busy planting trees.

Lee Masciarelli

Nanaimo