Latest news with #Trees
Epoch Times
04-07-2025
- Epoch Times
‘American Canopy' Motivates Readers to Take a Walk in the Woods
The 12-line poem, 'Trees,' by Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) was written in 1913 and immediately met with acclaim. It's become a classic due to its simple focus on an aspect of nature often taken for granted: I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. In his book 'American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation,' Eric Rutkow hopes readers will recognize the magnitude and majesty of trees in America. He takes readers on a historical walk in the woods, starting with the discovery of this country through the American Revolution, and ending with 'The Environmental Era,' as he titled his last chapter. Paths lined by clover and ferns lead through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which is part of the Redwood National and State Parks cluster in Northern California. Patricia Elaine Thomas/Dreamstime/TNS
West Australian
08-06-2025
- General
- West Australian
NSW Land and Environment Court rules on Battiato v Clifton tree dispute
A long-running tussle between neighbours over a pine tree and a crumbling retaining wall has finally ended, with a court ordering both parties to share costs for the fix-up. The brouhaha between Vince and Natalie Battiato of 20 Kanangra Ave and Faye Clifton of 22 Kanangra Ave in the coastal NSW town of Corlette escalated into a legal stoush because of the dilapidated wall that splits the two properties. The wall needed to be fixed and the neighbours could not agree on who should pay. The Battiatos contended that the roots of an old pine tree, which has since been removed, on Ms Clifton's property was the main contributor to the damage to the wall. But Ms Clifton shot back and argued the age of the wall was the central factor underpinning its dilapidation. In their application to the NSW Land and Environment Court, the Battiatos said Ms Clifton should remove all remaining trees on her property to facilitate the reconstruction of the wall and then pay for the fix-up. They also wanted her to bear all court costs. In her submission, Ms Clifton pushed for a 'just and fair outcome to a lengthy ongoing dispute', court documents show. She asked for costs to be shared between the parties for the reconstruction job. Acting Commissioner Peter Nichols AC, settling the dispute, visited the site and concluded age was the primary cause of the wall's dilapidation. But he added the tree had also likely caused some damage. 'The tree has been shown to have exacerbated damage to the section of the retaining wall, thus engaging the court's jurisdiction, however orders made for any compensation are a matter of discretion,' he said. 'Given the nature of the retaining wall, it appears that, in the main, the dilapidation was a function of the age and inappropriate design and construction materials of the retaining wall.' In his decision, handed down this week, Dr Nichols upheld the application from the Battiatos but only 'in part'. He ordered Ms Clifton to remove seven trees from her property, including tree stumps, trunks and roots 'with a diameter of greater than 100mm located within 200mm of the shared property boundary between 20 and 22 Kanangra Ave'. The trees are camellia, lemon and pine trees. But he ordered for the wall reconstruction costs to be split '50-50'. 'Within 365 days of the date of these orders the applicants (Battiatos) and respondent (Ms Clifton) are to arrange and pay for the design and construction of the replacement retaining wall, including obtaining all necessary approvals from Port Stephens Council … sharing the costs 50-50,' he said. The neighbours were ordered to swap quotes beforehand to find the cheapest option from 'suitably qualified and experienced building contractors'. Further, Dr Nichols ordered the parties to construct a new boundary fence on the top of the new retaining wall on the shared property boundary, splitting the costs 50-50. Legislation within the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours Act) from 2006 and the Dividing Fences Act from 1991 covered the dispute. Port Stephens Council sits north of Newcastle in NSW's Hunter Valley region. Corlette lies next to famous Nelson Bay, a popular tourist destination in the region.
Scoop
02-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Auckland Council Notifies Plan Change 113 Notable Trees
Press Release – The Tree Council The Tree Council partners with EcoMatters Environment Trust and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZ ARB) for a tree planting event on Arbor Day, Saturday 7 June 2024, from 10 am to noon in New Lynn, Auckland, with pre-registration required. After more than three years of work finding and assessing amazing trees around the region The Tree Council is delighted that Auckland Council has just publicly notified Plan Change 113. This plan change proposes adding 174 new individual trees and 29 new groups of trees to Schedule 10 Notable Trees of the Auckland Unitary Plan. The Tree Council is responsible for nominating 118 of the individual trees and 9 of the groups of trees included in the plan change. We nominated over 260 trees in total. We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all those members and supporters who suggested the locations of trees for us to assess for nomination. We would never have known about most of these trees if it wasn't for you. Plan Change 113 is open for submissions now. PLEASE take a few minutes to make a submission to say that you support the plan change in its entirety. There are bound to be landowners opposing trees on their properties being scheduled. So it is important that there is support from the public for protecting these trees. You can find the details of PC113 here: We will be reviewing the details of the plan change over the next couple of weeks and deciding whether we have additional trees we want to nominate as part of our submission. Please make a submission by filling in the online submission form at: or emailing your submission to unitaryplan@ The deadline is 23 June 2025. Anne Street Trees Petition The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board recently voted to remove two rare umbrella trees from the road reserve in Anne Street, Devonport at the request of local residents who claim they are causing flooding of the street. The Tree Council has requested that Auckland Council publicly notifies the consent application for the removal so that evidence and submissions can be presented to counter this view. Without public notification there is no opportunity for anyone to have a say or for any decision to be appealed. The more public interest there is in the case, the more likely it is to be publicly notified. Please sign this petition calling for public notification of the consent and share with your networks: These trees are Umbrella Trees (were Schefflera pueckleri now Heptapleurum calyptratum) and there are only three other locations in the Auckland Region in which they are known. They are not a pest species but a rare and valuable living asset. They do not cause flooding. Removing these trees will not prevent Anne Street from flooding. It is a flat, flood prone floodplain who's stormwater drain is prone to backing up when the tide is in. This is the cause of the flooding, not the trees. Arbor Day Planting Event The Tree Council is partnering with EcoMatters Environment Trust and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZ ARB) to provide a tree planting opportunity for members and supporters for Arbor Day on Saturday 7 June 2024. The event will take place from 10am – noon in New Lynn, Auckland and will be followed by a free BBQ. Pre-registration is required for attendees so that we know how many plants & how much equipment & food will be needed. Please click this link to register. You will be given details of the location once you have registered. The site is somewhat challenging so a reasonable standard of fitness is required. You will need to wear closed footwear (gumboots or similar), wet weather gear & gardening gloves are recommended. Many thanks to the Whau Local Board and Auckland Council Parks for supporting the restoration of this public land and providing the funding for the work.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Twenty One Pilots Fans Jumped Into Veronica Mars Mode After Someone Took Off With One of Josh Dun's Bespoke Drums
If you've ever been to a Twenty One Pilots show you are well aware that the bond between the group and their fans is beyond tight. Aside from the sing-alongs, the costumes and the overall loving, supportive spirit, there is the trusting act on their current world tour of singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun wading out into the pit to play drums as the Skeleton Clique sing and dance along to 'Trees.' Well, that trust was apparently broken during the final moments of the duo's show at Manchester's AO Arena on Sunday (May 11) when a concertgoer was seen grabbing one of Dun's drums and casually walking away with it. 'I really don't think you should take that,' one fan can be heard saying in a widely shared video of the alleged theft, as another adds, 'Have I just witnessed a crime. Has she actually just stolen that drum? That's crazy.' More from Billboard Palm Tree Festival to Debut in St. Tropez With Headliners A$AP Rocky & Swedish House Mafia Kelly Clarkson Doesn't Care What HR Says, She's Totally Open to Comments on Her Weight Loss: 'I Want You to Say 'Damn!' Ed Sheeran Sets Up Pink 'Play' Phone Booths Around Europe Previewing Upcoming Album And while it appeared that no Clique members stepped in to stop the unnamed fan, after word spread, the Clique put on their detective caps and distributed the video to see if they could find the percussion poacher. The hours long search appeared to pay off when 21P's behind-the-scenes tour videographer Sax posted on Instagram on Monday (May 12) that the one-of-a-kind drum had been returned. 'We Have The Drum!!!!!! – Thank you for all the tags and information. You guys rock!🤘,' wrote Sax along with an image of the purloined instrument safely ensconced in the back seat of a car. In a follow-up video, the band's crew welcomes the drum home, with the message, 'The Drum Returns! THANK YOU to everyone that helped, tagged, and supported the mission in bringing home The Drum. Let's kick off the last two shows of The Clancy World Tour THE RIGHT WAY!' After more than a year on the road in support of their Clancy album, the band has just two shows left on the outing, tonight (May 13) and Wednesday (May 14) at the O2 in London. Watch the drum's return below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
White House replaces 200-year-old 'Jackson Magnolia' with sapling
White House replaces 200-year-old 'Jackson Magnolia' with sapling Show Caption Hide Caption Companies can now sponsor the White House's Easter Egg Roll Breaking tradition, the White House is selling corporate sponsorships to the annual Easter Egg Roll The White House has planted a new sapling to replace an ancient magnolia named for President Andrew Jackson. The nation's seventh president brought the seeds of a southern magnolia tree from his home near Nashville, Tennessee, to the White House lawn in the early 1800s, according to the National Park Service. The tree, part of a group of magnolias near the South Portico, was determined to be a safety threat, according to a team of experts. They included master arborists, the National Park Service, the White House Grounds Superintendent, the White House Executive Residence, the Offices of the President and the First Lady, and the Secret Service. Jackson, whose nickname was Old Hickory was inspired by his tough-as-a-tree demeanor, planted the tree in memory of his wife, Rachel, who died before he took office in 1829, according to the park service. Nearly 200 years on, President Donald Trump ceremoniously helped plant the 12-year-old magnolia sapling taken as a cutting from the original tree. The sapling was grown offsite at the National Park Service Greenhouse as part of a plan to replace its parent. "Despite ongoing preservation efforts, the 'Jackson Magnolia' tree has reached the end of its lifespan and must be removed due to safety concerns," the park service said in a joint statement with the White House. Jackson began his career as a soldier in the Revolution. He later served as a U.S. congressman and senator; a Tennessee State Supreme Court judge, a major general in the Army during the War of 1812 and was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. The National Park Service designated Jackson's magnolias as "Witness Trees," for having borne witness to "significant historic and cultural events," according to a park service a Cessna airplane crash, targeting the White House in September 1994, slammed into the base of the trees, damaging them. The average lifespan of a southern magnolia is 100 years, according to the park service. 'Remnants of the old tree will be preserved by the Office of the Curator and honored by the White House, and this new tree will continue the heritage of the 'Jackson Magnolia' for generations to come," according to the joint statement. In a social media post, the White House rebranded the new sapling a "MAGAnolia," in a nod to Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. However, the National Park Service phrased it differently in the joint statement, noting that the sapling "will continue the tradition of honoring this tree's history."
