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The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

economist.com

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Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#51
post #25
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

people have been doing shitty things for a very long time. people have been talking about how "things are worse nowadays" also for a very long time. not much to do now other than try to science it back into existence, replace it with a similar one, plant a new one and wait or declare it done and move on.

oh jeez, i almost forgot the most important option: create a new british detectives television series around the event where they drive around in small cars across the english countryside while discussing the case and making prodigious use of their mobile phones. include use of gen z messaging platforms and a lovable geriatric millennial character who plays the role of the senior inspector.

Slower Horses?

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#54

There was a local project here on the railway lines. As part of the project they had to cut down a long row of giant pine trees in the park next to the train line. So when the railway project was complete I took my 8 year old son to the native nursery about bought ten mountain ash seedlings. Together we planted them in a long line in the park. Here's pictures of how big mountain ash gets: https://wilderlands.earth/st…

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Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Much of the UK was deforested at a minimum hundreds of years ago, and often thousands of years ago. Today, England is about 13% forest, and back in 1086 when the Domesday Book was written it was about 15%. Basically, this isn't new. At all.

How did they get numbers for percentage just after the norman conquest? Im imagining aerial maps for current measurements

They went around to every single village and town and asked them. The Doomsday book (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesday_Book) is fascinating because of its thoroughness and completeness at such an early time.

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did they get numbers for percentage just after the norman conquest? Im imagining aerial maps for current measurements

They went around to every single village and town and asked them. The Doomsday book ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesday_Book ) is fascinating because of its thoroughness and completeness at such an early time.

Thanks! Definitely fascinating

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#57
post #17

In the old days young people (mostly boys) would to stupid things to make their friends laugh; i can help to feel like that social networks elevate that behavior up to eleven. People now a days do all kinds of stupid shirt just to get views. I think the destruction of this tree was an example of that.

If it was done for social clout then we'd have seen the video circulating already. So it's probably not that.

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#58
post #30

There was a local project here on the railway lines. As part of the project they had to cut down a long row of giant pine trees in the park next to the train line. So when the railway project was complete I took my 8 year old son to the native nursery about bought ten mountain ash seedlings. Together we planted them in a long line in the park. Here's pictures of how big mountain ash gets: https://wilderlands.earth/st…

In Portland they recently started cutting trees down to widen the road for extended bus and bike lanes. That spawned a conversation that we've lost a third of our tree cover due to various things and the city hasn't kept up. That week I started burying cones from my Douglas Firs, which aren't nearly as big as the Mountain Ashes you planted, but are fairly large. With any luck I'll have five in my yard.

The other Portland tree fail was where the city did plant trees they didn't bother to care for them: https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/08/09/trees-planted-by-the-c...

It would be nice to see more government collaboration where citizens can assist in ways that will actually stick.

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#59
post #23

The American aborigines did their thing for what, 10,000 years? (Yes, I know they arguably sucked. But still) Industrial civilization may not make it to 300.

A thousand years ago (and with about a fortieth the population) England had similar forest cover to what it is now. If anything, modern industrial civilization is what enabled the reforestation of the UK.

Do you know anything I can read on the subject? My parents grew up in Norwood in south London which is named for the Great North Wood, which doesn't exist at anything like the extent it used to. I guess the numbers you're using are an average for the whole country, and that some areas that were not forested before now are?

Re: The Sycamore Gap tree held a particularly deep place in people's hearts

#60
post #16

What’s kinda poignant is that there was one tree left where there should be a forest, and you’re directed to feel angry when it is cut down

What do you mean “directed”? I read the facts of this situation and felt angry all on my own
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