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Making Rehovot a bloom
Protecting trees at the entrance to Rehovot is under way
"A mature tree must be treated with respect. It should not be moved, as much as that is possible, because moving a tree cripples it. The popular traditions around trees should be observed, and records should be kept of the life that took place around them."
This impassioned plea came from agronomist Yitzhak Hala'or at the second conference on mature trees, held at the Volcani Center in Beit Dagan last week. This year's conference, on means of protecting trees, was held in memory of Lieutenant Ilan Gabbai from Kiryat Tivon, who fell in the Second Lebanon War. Haim Gabbai, Ilan's father, who is an expert in pruning trees, chose to memorialize him by preserving an ancient oak tree in their home town.
Mature trees are those that are several decades old, and many in Israel are jeopardized by development and construction. Agriculture Ministry official Yisrael Galon says the ministry receives thousands of requests every year to cut down or transplant protected trees. In order to touch such trees, ministry and Jewish National Fund permission is needed. Very often, these bodies find themselves under very strong pressure to grant permits, after building plans were approved without taking into account the site's trees.
During last week's conference, JNF afforestation department head Zvika Avni presented several examples of the difficulties his unit faces. "They wanted to expand the Masmiya junction, and they wanted to move a sycamore tree there. We were opposed to this, and eventually one of the lanes that was due to pass through where the tree stood was closed, and the sycamore remained there instead. Currently we are working to protect trees at the entrance to Rehovot, where the Israel Railways is doing development work."
There were plans to remove a sycamore tree from the Holon junction in order to clear room for roadwork. The tree, which has become the city's symbol, was supposed to be pruned of its branches and moved. At the request of the JNF, the Ayalon road works company moved and replanted the tree intact. Now, a year later, the tree sits 100 meters south of the original spot, and appears to be doing well.
JNF officials recently have tried to make contractors declare during planning stages which trees must be removed and which can stay. But so far, the proposal has not been approved by the Interior Ministry planning authority.
The Agriculture Ministry and the JNF also are planning to push for a new forestry law to address forest administration, including a special chapter on the protection of trees. Avni says the legislation would include a list of protected trees at various sites. In order for one of these trees to be transplanted or chopped down, the minister would have to change the protected status of every individual tree.
Over the past few years, public bodies and local authorities have made greater efforts to protect trees in urban locales. The Herzliya municipality is planting temporary groves on plots earmarked for development. The actual construction will take place only in several years, and municipal officials have decided that in the meantime, it is worthwhile to plant the plots. This week, a ceremony was held to mark the planting of the first such grove.
In Tel Aviv, one Ilan Goldstein has initiated an educational project known as "Adopt-a-Tree." Goldstein prompted the municipality to introduce a school program on the importance of trees in the city. The aim of the program is to have every child adopt a tree in his or her neighborhood, track that tree's progress and protect it.
The exercise book on the subject, which Goldstein prepared along with Prof. Amotz Dafni of the University of Haifa, offers explanations about the importance of growing trees in cities, the tree's various parts, how a tree develops and what nutrition it needs.
"If we could ask the trees where they would prefer to live, we can assume that they would say they would like to be in a forest, a grove or even in the desert," the exercise book reads. "It is clear that it is not good for a tree to breathe car exhaust in the city and to be covered by pavement. But no one can ask the trees what they want, and they cannot move to another home. So let's help them to feel at home in the city, too."
Source: Zafrir Rinat. Green Cities: Making the city bloom. Haaretz.com (10 September 2007) [FullText]
"A mature tree must be treated with respect. It should not be moved, as much as that is possible, because moving a tree cripples it. The popular traditions around trees should be observed, and records should be kept of the life that took place around them."
This impassioned plea came from agronomist Yitzhak Hala'or at the second conference on mature trees, held at the Volcani Center in Beit Dagan last week. This year's conference, on means of protecting trees, was held in memory of Lieutenant Ilan Gabbai from Kiryat Tivon, who fell in the Second Lebanon War. Haim Gabbai, Ilan's father, who is an expert in pruning trees, chose to memorialize him by preserving an ancient oak tree in their home town.
Mature trees are those that are several decades old, and many in Israel are jeopardized by development and construction. Agriculture Ministry official Yisrael Galon says the ministry receives thousands of requests every year to cut down or transplant protected trees. In order to touch such trees, ministry and Jewish National Fund permission is needed. Very often, these bodies find themselves under very strong pressure to grant permits, after building plans were approved without taking into account the site's trees.
During last week's conference, JNF afforestation department head Zvika Avni presented several examples of the difficulties his unit faces. "They wanted to expand the Masmiya junction, and they wanted to move a sycamore tree there. We were opposed to this, and eventually one of the lanes that was due to pass through where the tree stood was closed, and the sycamore remained there instead. Currently we are working to protect trees at the entrance to Rehovot, where the Israel Railways is doing development work."
There were plans to remove a sycamore tree from the Holon junction in order to clear room for roadwork. The tree, which has become the city's symbol, was supposed to be pruned of its branches and moved. At the request of the JNF, the Ayalon road works company moved and replanted the tree intact. Now, a year later, the tree sits 100 meters south of the original spot, and appears to be doing well.
JNF officials recently have tried to make contractors declare during planning stages which trees must be removed and which can stay. But so far, the proposal has not been approved by the Interior Ministry planning authority.
The Agriculture Ministry and the JNF also are planning to push for a new forestry law to address forest administration, including a special chapter on the protection of trees. Avni says the legislation would include a list of protected trees at various sites. In order for one of these trees to be transplanted or chopped down, the minister would have to change the protected status of every individual tree.
Over the past few years, public bodies and local authorities have made greater efforts to protect trees in urban locales. The Herzliya municipality is planting temporary groves on plots earmarked for development. The actual construction will take place only in several years, and municipal officials have decided that in the meantime, it is worthwhile to plant the plots. This week, a ceremony was held to mark the planting of the first such grove.
In Tel Aviv, one Ilan Goldstein has initiated an educational project known as "Adopt-a-Tree." Goldstein prompted the municipality to introduce a school program on the importance of trees in the city. The aim of the program is to have every child adopt a tree in his or her neighborhood, track that tree's progress and protect it.
The exercise book on the subject, which Goldstein prepared along with Prof. Amotz Dafni of the University of Haifa, offers explanations about the importance of growing trees in cities, the tree's various parts, how a tree develops and what nutrition it needs.
"If we could ask the trees where they would prefer to live, we can assume that they would say they would like to be in a forest, a grove or even in the desert," the exercise book reads. "It is clear that it is not good for a tree to breathe car exhaust in the city and to be covered by pavement. But no one can ask the trees what they want, and they cannot move to another home. So let's help them to feel at home in the city, too."
Source: Zafrir Rinat. Green Cities: Making the city bloom. Haaretz.com (10 September 2007) [FullText]
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