Editor:
The Douglas fir seedlings beside the trail that partly circles the Gibsons Elementary School grounds are not doing well in this hot, dry weather. These trees were planted to replace the ones cut down because they’d been deemed unsafe.
This trail is valued by many in the community—not just G.E.S. students. It provides a short but lovely woodland walk. I’ve been walking it for 37 years. I go out of my way to make it part of my route to Sunnycrest Mall. My late partner and I used to stop to sit on our special stump there. George suffered back and knee pain and needed to rest often during walks. There was a peaceful ambiance at that spot. I still stop there to rest and remember.
My special spot has lost many trees. I am hopeful that, before I leave the planet – or get too decrepit to walk – some of the new trees will have grown to provide at least a partial screen between where I sit and the board fence that separates the school grounds from neighbouring houses. I noticed last week that the baby trees were in distress. On this week’s shopping trip, I brought my water bottle to give a drink to at least the new trees near my stump. When I arrived one seedling was completely brown and another was half dead.
I don’t know who is officially responsible for the seedlings but I wonder if other walkers, including the many dog walkers who use the trail, would consider bringing extra water to give relief to some baby trees each time they pass during this hot spell?
Sincerely,
Anne Miles
Gibsons
