Poole schoolgirl fighting to save favourite tree (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Poole schoolgirl fighting to save favourite tree
12:00pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in News By Juliette Astrup
CAMPAIGNING: Ella Godfrey and friends near her beloved tree
A POOLE schoolgirl is fighting to save her “favourite tree” after it was marked for the chop.
Ella Godfrey, 11, contacted the Echo after the maple tree on the green at Blake Dene Road in Lilliput was marked with an orange spot – indicating it is to be felled.
While it looks healthy, the council has discovered the tree is suffering from a fungal disease.
While Ella knows she may have to bid it a sad farewell, she has decided to press ahead with a final stand petition to show her love for the tree.
She told the Echo: “I want people to sign to say they will miss the tree and don’t want it to be cut down.
“We’ve made dens in the tree and hung on its branches, made little homes for ants, climbed it and picked up the autumn leaves to make pictures with.
“I will be very sad to see it go – I love that tree. It’s my favourite.”
Ella’s mum Tannya Godfrey said her campaigning daughter is taking a leaf out of the book of her grandfather, ward councillor Roy Godfrey.
Tannya said: “It’s a lovely place to go and play.
“Really it’s a little bit of their childhood which is going.”
Andy Osborne, senior arboricultural officer, said: “The Borough of Poole will only remove trees if absolutely necessary. The Silver Maple in Blake Dene Road is suffering from a fungal disease which is weakening the tree’s main supporting roots. This will lead to the tree becoming unstable and liable to fall in windy conditions.
“Although the tree will be cut down during November we are pleased that it will be replaced with an oak tree as part of the council’s Jubilee Tree Planting Initiative.”
Comments(13)
Tripod
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12:53pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Pablo23
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1:25pm Thu 1 Nov 12
l'anglais
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1:38pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Could we plant some council houses there in its place.
poolepaul
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1:52pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Hammy1
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3:10pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Morrigan
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3:59pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Hammy1 wrote:Totally agree and unless it is a Field Maple, then it is not a tree native to Britain. Most other types of Maple are natives of Asia.
Well done to this young lady she will go far in life. But sadly sometimes one tree has to go in order to save the others. At least another is being planted in its place which doesn't always happen.
Having it replaced with a sturdy Oak tree is far better - especially for healthy children to climb and play on it's branches. Great for collecting leaves, acorns etc if they like craft activities!
I admire her idea, but sadly it seems the tree will have to go before it infects any others .....
jonheat1
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5:53pm Thu 1 Nov 12
jonheat1
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5:58pm Thu 1 Nov 12
HRH of Boscombe
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7:03pm Thu 1 Nov 12
jonheat1 wrote:Totally agree. Nice to see someone so young care about her environment after reading about the brain dead youngsters queuing twice overnight for wallymania.
she ought to branch out and look for other trees to save,well done girl.
Bing63
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8:07pm Thu 1 Nov 12
APC303
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8:48pm Thu 1 Nov 12
jonheat1 wrote:I doubt it has anything whatsoever to do with "foreign diseases". There are plenty of native fungi that can colonise trees and make them dangerous.
its all ways best to get to the root of the problem,why are these trees getting diseased? i suppose from abroad as usual.
Bing63
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8:52am Fri 2 Nov 12
jeebuscripes says...
12:35pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Love that shrub.