Conservation Hero
Earlier this year a 9 year old boy from Surrey Hills stood up to his local Council when a hundred year old Oak tree on his neighbours property was to be felled for re-development. With the assistance of his Dad, he doorknocked his neighbours and collected pages of signatures from other residents who also wanted the tree to stay. Boroondara Council gave a short stay of execution but then sadly gave the permit for it to be felled. Young Patrick knew the value of a tree of this magnitude, he said it was home to birds, bats and possums and it shaded his home in Summer and let light in, in Winter, while sheltering his house from the windy weather, and making clean air.
We would call that habitat, passive solar, temperature modification, wind abatement, and greenhouse gas reduction. CCS was so impressed with Patrick that we visited him at his school assembly and presented him with a Conservation Hero certificate for his understanding and care for the environment. We also provided the School with a Salmon Eucalypt which was to be planted close to the school grounds, near the Church.
It is never too early for youngsters to understand nature, in fact sometimes they do it instinctively much better than adults who sometimes put confuse what is important by building impressive mansions on land where once there was a magnificent garden and home. Our hats off to Patrick and other kids like him. CCS vows to try even harder to protect our impressive mature canopy trees across our region this year.