livingfeature
“I enjoy working with groups and organizations like the Lethbridge Historical Society
and the Galt Museum to share resources. To revive a heritage tree program we need to
bring stakeholders together,” Maureen adds. It is her hope that the City will eventually
lend support by way of bylaws to help preserve the trees on private property. “The City
has an amazing team of arborists that do a great job maintaining and caring for trees on
city property, but there is little they can do for trees on private residential properties. It’s
a challenge because we’ve lost or seen some beautiful heritage trees topped on private
property over the years.”
Maureen
explains
that
perceptions about the expense
or work involved to maintain
larger and loftier trees can be the
driving factors a new or existing
homeowner may consider to
justify chopping down a tree on
their property. “Maintaining trees
should be factored in to the overall
cost of maintaining the home,”
she says. The benefits of keeping
a tree on the property, as long as
it isn’t posing any danger to the
property, far outweigh the costs
and can add value to the home as
well.
Along with enhancing the visual aesthetics of a home, trees contribute to lowering
utility costs by shading and cooling the home, and by slowing evaporation from lawns
and gardens, thereby saving on watering costs. They can also promote wildlife and bird
habitat, purify air, help keep the dust at bay, and act as another layer of privacy between
neighbours. Having one or more well-cared for trees on a property can increase the value
of that property by sometimes as much as 15 per cent.
Of the dozens of trees already designated as heritage trees, or those that Maureen
has catalogued, trying to choose a favourite is nearly impossible. “I really love them
all,” she says. “I suppose I am partial to Old Westy, the 110-year-old cottonwood located
“I want to know why that tree is special–
what the story is behind the tree. It’s
as important to gather the stories
behind these trees as much as it is
the measurements. I believe it is the
community’s engagement with our trees
that is most important.”
LETHBRIDGELIVING.COM
JAN-FEB 2016
41