Dear editor:

I am reading in amazement about “messy” trees and making room in yards for completely unnecessary landfill toys (the manufacturing process and environmental impact of these items alone is shocking).

All trees are “messy” and a potential danger and they provide shade, anchorage and oxygen for our burning planet.

So much benefit and beauty for so little work. You can always opt to live far away from trees if the danger and mess concern you, but remember it will be 42 C in July.

Even Parks Canada is cutting down old growth trees at the NOTL Golf Club to make way for much-needed shoreline protection.

I see the need for drastic measures like this but, am I missing something or do trees no longer stabilize shorelines?

Have a walk on the golf course if you want to see the replanting that was promised in the first round of shoreline protection.

It’s laughable. They are twigs at best.

I was part of the public process of getting a tree bylaw enacted in Niagara-on-the-Lake and thought we had make great strides.

I’m feeling pretty naive now.

It has become profoundly obvious to me the only messy thing on our planet is us.

We continue to destroy and consume and rationalize that we can’t make a difference.

If you save one tree in your own backyard, you have contributed.

And for those of you with children, perhaps consider more trees and less plastic if you picture them having a viable environment at all.

And be aware that your yard is going to be smoking hot without trees. We have to change our thinking now.

Beth Macdonald
NOTL