Save Marino’s Pear Trees

hamburgham

Incredible as it may seem, not half a mile from where the recent controversy arose with regard to DCC’s plan to cut down trees in Fairview to improve a cycle path, Marino residents have been lobbying DCC to cut down the fruiting pear trees which are planted along many of the roads in Marino. They consider the fallen fruit to be a nuisance and apparently it is not unknown for residents to deliberately damage a tree in the hope that it will die.

How many people are lucky enough to live in an urban orchard, yet there is a plan to remove these trees because of the complaints of a minority of residents.

Why aren’t all the people who opposed the cutting down of the trees in Fairview also opposing the removal of the pear trees in Marino?

If DCC propose to remove trees, there are (rightly) petitions and campaigns in protest but if it’s the residents, just more pandering to the cranks.

HeidiHeidi

I only heard about the campaign against the cutting down of the Fairview trees because of a post on this forum highlighting the petition.

If you know of a petition, or want to start one, I'd gladly sign that as well.

odyssey06

It is a totally different situation to the 100 year old trees in Fairview Park.

The trees were put in in the 1980s. The residents were assured the trees were not fruit bearing. If DCC took full responsibility for the trees they had planted on the public property in their charge, and frequently during autumn removed the fallen fruit, the residents would not have an issue with the trees.

Many residents were sweeping up the fallen fruit and disposing of them in their own bins until bin charges were brought in by DCC.

Instead it seems DCC expect the local residents to sweep up the pears, and either leave them rotting in plastic bags on the side of the road for weeks waiting for DCC to send a van to pick them up; or pay for the disposal of the pears through their own waste.

Furthermore, the roots of the trees are now causing many broken sections of footpaths.

There are numerous parks and green "Ds" in Marino\Fairview which would be a more suitable location for an 'urban orchard' than on the confined footpaths.

So I would gladly sign any petition for their removal, and I can assure you there would be many many Marino residents also signing that petition.

And I utterly reject in the strongest terms possible the label 'cranks' to describe people with concerns about the trees.

RasTa

It's fruit, just throw it on the greens and mother nature will do it's thing. The brown bins not free on that side? Yes you are a crank.

hamburgham

I genuinely can't understand the mindset of someone who would want a tree cut down because the fallen fruit annoys them. The selfishness and arrogance is incredible. It annoys me so I want it gone.

Can you imagine if the people on Griffith Avenue who have tonnes of fallen leaves blowing into their gardens every year decided they wanted the trees cut down because the fallen leaves annoyed them.

And as another poster pointed out, there is no removal cost to the individual as the brown bins are free.

odyssey06

Brownbins are free????
Someone should tell bin companies in D3 then they are breaking the law charging 23c a kilo eg Greyhound.

If you like the trees so much and dont mind disposing of their fruit... well you will have your hands full on cleanup duty during autumn. Feel free to volunteer.

Feel free to re lay the footpaths while u are at it.

Gloomtastic!

Pears? The trees next to us in Marino look like crab apples. Hundreds of little crab apples on each tree that have to be picked individually or else they drop. Once they drop they start to rot. They then become a health hazard.

Good riddance to them, they won't be missed by anyone here I believe......

alastair

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Pears? The trees next to us in Marino look like crab apples. Hundreds of little crab apples on each tree that have to be picked individually or else they drop. Once they drop they start to rot. They then become a health hazard.

Good riddance to them, they won't be missed by anyone here I believe......

How exactly are rotting crab apples a health hazard?

Jawgap

Those feckin' trees!!!

I remember the discussions / arguments that took place when they went in. Not many wanted them and people warned the Corpo (as they were then) that they'd break up the pavements and just be a general nuisance by obstructing the paths.

Will be glad to see the back of them, if they're going.

Stick them in the top or bottom circles, of where the Three Trees were on Griffith Avenue.

odyssey06

The lesson here, of the differing reactions to Fairview Park v the streets of Marino, is this:
- If you put the right trees in the right places... they will be much loved by local residents.
- If you put the wrong trees in the wrong places... don't be surprised when locals start complaining.

Gloomtastic!

alastair wrote: »

How exactly are rotting crab apples a health hazard?

Going ass over tit after stepping on one may seriously damage your health!

Teyla Emmagan

My sister has one of these outside. It's definitely not a pear (her one anyway), they're some sort of very small red crab apple. Anyway, her tree gives off about an ordinary disposable plastic bag's worth of fruit a year, I can't imagine how anyone in their right mind would consider that a nuisance. It's a lovely tree.