It has just turned morning, the fog has not yet lifted and the early serenity is shattered by the harsh bark and howl of a chainsaw as it tears into the living fabric of a massive eucalypt tree. Limb after limb is sent crashing, as this once majestic tree is reduced to the ground. Eventually the silence returns for the briefest of moments and shares the void with the lingering piquant fragrance of burnt two-stroke and eucalypt oil.
Then, just as abruptly the silence is again shattered.
But now, by the thunderous roar of an industrial mulcher; as it reduces what was home to numerous wildlife species into a not-very-large pile of wood-chip; subsequently on-sold under the seemingly innocuous title of forest mulch.
Small return for a tree that yesterday contained innumerable forks, clefts and hollows which provided food, nest-sites and security for a diverse suite of wildlife species. A tree that supported a broad and interconnected range of ecological services, from pollination to pest management; and all at little or no expense to the home owner. |
