It hasn’t been a good week for trees. Reports that an estimated 2,000 mature trees faced the chop at Kennedy Grove understandably generated angst among many. The sheer number of trees involved makes it hard to fathom how they can all be transplanted. Even if they were, transplantation results in a loss of context, as has happened with the handful of Ficus monoliths transplanted in the central strip along Żebbuġ Road.

Those responsible for this latest carnage on trees will counter that (1) a fully-fledged Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study had been conducted on the proposed road alignment and widening project, which included a public consultation, and that (2) a comparable number of trees will be planted on site to compensate.

Regarding the first point, most memebers of the public do not know about the organisation of the public consultation, or of the proposals in the project description documents. As for the second point, one hopes that at least mature trees will be planted on site, rather than saplings (most of which die off as they are not watered), and that they will not be planted during summer. It is ironic that the site where so many trees have met their final fate lies close to a 34U tree-planting site.

Driving in Sicily’s hinterland, one occasionally encounters similar road-widening projects as the one at Salini. Mature trees that have to make the ultimate sacrifice are sold on the spot for a heavily discounted price to drivers who have an vehicle to ferry the trees away. Perhaps it’s time to start considering this option.

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