Straits Times Forum 10 Jan 13;
I LIVE in Dover Crescent. Over the past few days, some mature trees along that road have been felled and saplings planted in their place.
I do not understand the logic of this. For many years, the mature trees have been providing shady relief on sunny days; these young saplings can provide none.
Some residents have stuck notices on the remaining trees, with the plaintive message: "Please do not cut me down."
I hope the authorities will heed this plea.
Also, I have observed that trees that provide good shade in several housing estates have often been over-pruned by chainsaw-wielding workers.
It seems that after nearly 50 years of tree-planting and calling ourselves a garden city, we still have not found a better way of managing and caring for our trees.
Wong Shin Hoe
Dover Crescent trees removed due to decay
Straits Times 17 Jan 13;
WE THANK Mr Wong Shin Hoe for his feedback ("Spare mature trees in Dover Crescent"; last Thursday).
To ensure public safety, we are removing tree species that are storm-vulnerable, and replacing them with hardier ones.
The trees that were removed in Dover Crescent were Andira inermis, which was observed over the years to be a storm-vulnerable species.
We tried to keep those in Dover Crescent for as long as possible, but they recently showed signs of decay and had to be removed.
Before doing so, we planted more than 60 Tembusu Tikus (Pteleocarpa lamponga) trees, which are less prone to damage during storms. Tembusu Tikus is a medium-sized native tree that produces attractive bright yellow flowers.
The mature trees on the other side of Dover Crescent are of a different species. They are less storm-vulnerable and are in good condition. They will continue to provide greenery and shade.
Oh Cheow Sheng
Director, Streetscape
National Parks Board
