Trees Damaged in the Park: Mother Nature or Homo Sapiens?

From far away, I thought that maybe the wind had torn through this area by the flagpole on Wednesday night. But upon arriving to the embedded carousel near these trees, it became less clear what caused this terrible tree damage.


I seriously doubt the wind caused this. Wednesday night's windy conditions can claim plenty of small branches (and a couple of large ones that luckily didn't hit anyone) down all over the park. These look more like intentional pulling and tearing. Speculation? Educated guess? Totally off? I'll rely on more experienced readers to decide.

According to the NYC Parks website, intentional destruction/removal/permanent damage to a tree can result in a $1000 penalty.

Just one more reason I really hope that karma exists. Maybe in this person's next life, s/he'll be a tree near one of those waterfall exhibits.

Trees, Gardens Make Way for Electrical Wiring

So on Monday, on my way to the park, I noticed large areas of the garden behind the swings dug up. Actually, what I noticed first was the jackhammering coming from the garden. An unexpected type of gardening, really. There was a line of disheveled dirt starting at the garden at the 6th Avenue and 44th Street entrance all the way to the end of the swingset fencing. I didn't get a shot of it, but here's what it looked like after being cleaned up.
Picture the above scene magnified about three times. Stacks of piping were leaning against one of the gates, so I asked the men working on the piles of dirt what was being installed. Apparently, electrical wiring needs to be "re-routed" to provide more lighting in the park.

I asked if it had to be done through the garden, and the answer was YES. The man who did the most talking said that the swing-set area was actually covering one of the electrical boxes. I guess we're lucky that the entire area wasn't dug up. He added that some other workers had been looking "for years" to find another box covered up by either the concrete play areas or the promenade. I didn't quite get which one he meant. Aren't there maps as to where these connections are made?

Anyway, they jackhammered their way into the roots of the tree below. The photo is of the rock garden left behind when they were done. Are they giving a tribute to the tree, or a memorial for its sure demise?

Let's see if the lighting in the park actually does get better.

Limb Ripped Off Of Sunset Park Newcomer

In one of the most egregious acts of "anti-newcomer" behavior we've seen in recent Sunset Park events, a transplant to Sunset Park has been violated in a public and wanton manner.

The little tree you see pictured showed up during the planting blitz we had a couple of months back. It looked more like a divining stick than a viable candidate for growth, and I wondered if we'd see leaves once spring arrived.

It has persevered; leaves are indeed sprouting and thriving. However, one-third fewer leaves will be seen due to the violence exacted upon this stubborn survivor. One of its three limbs was ripped off a few days ago. Even before buds could appear, the tree was attacked and forced to continue on with one less arm.

What goes through the mind of someone who chooses to remove a living arm from a neighbor? Is it a need to take aggression out on something that can't fight back? The feral cats might scratch you or pee on you. The corner drunks will surely bestow some sort of fluid on you. So what do you do? You choose the smallest, most pathetic looking tree within a ten block walk and you tug and pull (because even if you thought it was dead, once you attempted to pull off the limb you'd know there was still life in there) and eventually lacerate the defenseless, adolescent tree. Congratulations. Do you feel like a tough guy now?
Here's the end result:


Despite (or perhaps because of?) the abuse tolerated at the hands of some hooligan, this tree has managed to push out lots of buds and leaves in just a few days. Check out the gorgeous red and green shoots below.