‘Tree-mendous’: readers react after Lewes becomes first town in country to recognise rights of trees via special charter
Sussex Express readers have reacted with a variety of views to Lewes becoming the first town in the country to recognise the rights of trees via a ‘Tree Charter’.
On Thursday, September 10, Lewes Town Council (LTC) unanimously approved a motion to adopt the new Rights of Trees Charter for Lewes.
The motion was proposed by town councillor Dinah Morgan on behalf of the Lewes Rights of our Trees group (ROOTS) at the meeting of the full council.
The Rights of Trees Charter for Lewes, by ROOTS, said trees should have: the right to life, the right to flourish, the right to respirate, the right to healthy soil, the right to water, the right to be restored, the right to representation, the right to informed decisions, the right to precautionary and preventative approach and the right to complete natural life cycles.
After the news broke, we asked our readers what they thought on our Facebook page.
Kate Edmonds said: “It is a great move. In these extractive times, people seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Trees are some of the oldest living things on the planet and they contribute greatly to human life and wellbeing and take decades to reach their full potential. They deserve respect and care, and shouldn’t be harmed unless there’s an extremely good reason.”
John Wilde described trees as ‘living breathing conscious entities’, while Peter Rayner described them as the ‘lungs of the planet’.
Jane Carpenter said: “Trees provide clean air, oxygen and shade. Respect!”
Some readers decided to respond with a more satirical tone.
Shaun Hartley said: “As I live in the Lewes District I can say with a open heart that people from Lewes have the right idea. I don’t know what that idea is but they have it.”
Howard Scofield said: “They’ll probably let them vote next.”
Gordon Ramel called the news ‘tree-mendous’.
Other readers reacted to the news to express concerns about other issues in the town.
Charley Page said: “Be handy if they maintained them then because most of the trees in Lewes are in a terrible state.”
Richie Ellis Butchos said: “If the trees have a voice now, can they tell themselves to stop growing along the Nevill Road – they haven’t been trimmed in decades.”
Karen Woodward asked: “Does that include the ones marked to be destroyed if the mythical Phoenix development actually goes ahead?”
Friends of Lewes celebrated the news at friends-of-lewes.org.uk, saying its Trees Committee (Lewes Urban Arboretum Project) has been working with the Railway Land Wildlife Trust, the Environmental Justice Law Clinic (University of Sussex) and the Environmental Law Foundation since May this year to propose a Tree Charter for Lewes. It formed the ROOTs group with representatives from Lewes Town Council, Lewes Climate Hub, the Town Ranger and the SDNP Biodiversity Officer.
Friends of Lewes said the motion was guided by a Rights of our Trees, Woodlands and Forests Toolkit, which was developed by Dr Joanna Miller Smallwood and her students at the Environmental Justice Law Clinic.