Tree trimming is done for various reasons - safety, health or aesthetics.
Close to my home in a suburb in Manila there is a long boulevard lined with eucalyptus trees. I've noticed that once a year, the branches of these trees are completely hacked down and I've yet to learn the reason.
A few days ago, I captured these men at work and thought they'd make an interesting story for Our World Tuesday. It's a pity I missed seeing how the man got up into the tree.
First he attaches a rope to the branch that is about to be felled.
Then he hacks the branch with a machete, leaving what to me looks like a rather crude cut. And I see he wears no safety equipment of any kind.
But down it comes! The men on the ground ensure it doesn't hit the home.
And soon the boulevard will be entirely denuded of its shade-giving branches. You can see the trunk left standing on the left of the one being worked on. The first time I witnessed this I was pained.
Yet then I saw that within mere weeks, new healthy branches sprouted out, and before long, the boulevard was once more lush in green. I'm thinking that the tree trimming does make the tree stronger and healthier, despite the violence to its limbs.
Is there a moral to this story?
Close to my home in a suburb in Manila there is a long boulevard lined with eucalyptus trees. I've noticed that once a year, the branches of these trees are completely hacked down and I've yet to learn the reason.
A few days ago, I captured these men at work and thought they'd make an interesting story for Our World Tuesday. It's a pity I missed seeing how the man got up into the tree.
Manila, 2011
First he attaches a rope to the branch that is about to be felled.
Then he hacks the branch with a machete, leaving what to me looks like a rather crude cut. And I see he wears no safety equipment of any kind.
But down it comes! The men on the ground ensure it doesn't hit the home.
And soon the boulevard will be entirely denuded of its shade-giving branches. You can see the trunk left standing on the left of the one being worked on. The first time I witnessed this I was pained.
Yet then I saw that within mere weeks, new healthy branches sprouted out, and before long, the boulevard was once more lush in green. I'm thinking that the tree trimming does make the tree stronger and healthier, despite the violence to its limbs.
Is there a moral to this story?
23 comments:
I'm sure there must be a moral to the story. In two words it might be "fret not" but I'm more inclined to think it must be something about nature's amazing powers of renewal.
What a great post for Our World Tuesday, Francisca.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
That's really interesting how they do that and with no safety equipment to protect themselves! Never happen here!! Glad the trees continue to do well. Great look at your world, Cisca! Hope you have a lovely week!
Sylvia
How interesting to follow this work, thanks to you Francisca. Perhaps they don't want them to grow too high?
It is a pity though :)
It looks little dangerous :) xo Tina
That must take quite a skillful hand (and balance!).
I think, as with everything in life, a little pruning is necessary.
It looks like they might grow really tall otherwise. Doing all that without any safety equipment wouldn't be allowed here!
Tree trimming is fascinating to me. To watch them climb and cut and do it all without damaging anything or one on the ground.
I really hate to see tress cut, but I guess the trimming is beneficial.
I'm sure that are reasons for doing this, but I always feel a bit ambiguous, as far as tree trimming is concerned.
Hugs
J.
Amazing how they do this with no machinery at all. Age old traditions still live on.
this is a much quieter way of trimming than what goes on around here! These trees probably grow pretty fast and would become out of control without these machete wielders!
You have told this story well. I think eucalyptus trees are very shallow-rooted and if a high wind comes up, they can fall. I think the trimming helps prevent that. Having said that, I still don't like the idea! Thanks for sharing part of your world.
It definitely has a romantic element...& a renewal component.
~Mary
The lack of safety equipment is making me queasy! But the pictures are great -- the fellow looks proud of doing a good job and if the branches grow back, then I guess it is all OK. And I guess without the safety equipment, you couldn't blame him for making the cuts quick and dirty.
You did a great job capturing the man working on the tree! what a dangerous work he has without a secure equipment!
Awesome shots that tell a great story ~hanks, namaste, CArol (A Creative Harbor) linked with Our World Tuesday
Hehehe, I am just surprised, I do not see hanging wires...
These guys are just skillful.
I hate to see trees cut down, or 'pollarded' as trimming off branches is called here. I recently saw some Horse Chestnut trees that had been brutally pollarded, I couldn't believe it, they are such magnificent trees.
I guess there must be a good reason for trimming the Eucalyptus, if as someone previously suggested, they are shallow rooted.
Some Eucalyptus trees can shed very large limbs during hot weather, that is probably the reason for pollarding them in this way.
I get chills whenever I hear a chainsaw in the neighborhood. But I guess the tree trimmers know what they're doing.
But to see guys up a tree like in your post--well, I would worry more about the men than the trees.
I seen Mike Rowe do this on Dirty Jobs pretty scary, Great shots
No cranes here! :-) What I really like is the 'fan banana tree'.
Glad to see he's got a safety rope.
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