Getting Satisfaction

The Silver Birch tree is one of the glories of the English landscape and in autumn it is resplendent. Those here were not planted by people. They grew here naturally and add considerably to the appeal of the wilder side of Blacka Moor regarded with much affection by those who love the natural more than the artificial. They are, however, deemed to be useful in a special way to SWT. That spiritually and morally bankrupt organisation feels the same as many working in the conservation sector of the economy, namely that anything that can be used to make money and secure their jobs is fair game. SWT get money from the activity of destroying Silver Birch Trees which they define as 'management'. They even seek to make it a kind of sport by calling it 'Birch Bashing' and gleefully invite other people called 'volunteers' to come along and join them in it. The activity is not confined to 'hands on' violence to young saplings. SWT staff join in with chain saws, the operation of which is music to the ears of generations incompletely satisfied by the gentle and natural sounds of wild places. This year SWT will be joined in their autumn slaughter by numbers of unemployed youngsters who have never been here before but, they hope, by the time they leave, will have certainly made their mark. This is happening tomorrow, Monday 26th October and is part of a government sponsored scheme entitled 'Make a Difference Day'. Along with Birch destruction they will also be able to vent their understandable frustration at being unemployed on Pine trees, and other annoying native species which SWT and its friends have arbitrarily decided do not conform to their plans for the site. It is interesting that there are so many public spaces in our communities that would benefit from some good honest manual work - I can think of one within a few yards of my own house - yet these youngsters are encouraged to destroy some of the most glorious natural features of a landscape which should be delightfully wild.

I wonder when we will get similar selective destruction of other sectors of the natural world. Perhaps there are too many Blue Tits or Robins for example? If you can find nothing odd about destroying beautiful native trees what else might you be persuaded to do if the grant money is easily available?