Why do Maltese government officials and professionals, including engineers, as well as the Maltese people in general, have such little regard – verging on contempt – for trees? They uproot them from their streets and squares, they chop them down, they prune them to mere stumps and they vandalise them.

They do not seem to realise that trees are living creatures that beautify outdoors spaces and enliven modern interiors with their gentle, green presence.

Perhaps the reason why the Maltese people have such a low regard for trees is because, as children, they were indoctrinated by the priests of their anthropocentric religion that only humans have “souls”.

To compensate for the recent massacre of trees at Lija, here are detailed instructions for making some new trees to replace them: “Take wood, seasoned or green, rough-hewn or planed. Take first one four-square beam twice a man’s height. Then graft a second, half that, on to it, cross-wise and near the top, cunningly joined. Dig socket. Plant upright. Hope it will root, hope sap will rise. If not, keep tools at hand, and, when the time is ripe, nail up the fruit” (Paul Hyland, To make a tree).