A Tree in Nairobi

So, we were reading about this tremendous, 100-year-old fig tree in Nairobi recently. The tree, surrounded by traffic in the bustling city, was set to be transplanted due to the arrival of a new expressway. (How do you move, successfully, an elder tree like this, four-stories tall?) 

Citizens stood up and said no to the transplantation — the tree was spared — but the threat to trees and green spaces remains in Nairobi and all spaces where humans encroach: the struggle will only intensify in our lifetimes, and beyond.

Here in Asheville, our sense of the sacredness of trees comes on strong in the fall, when our treescape turns dusky red, gold, orange and yellow. We celebrate fall foliage; it's our golden season, and our mountain trees draw nearly 11 million visitors a year (pre-pandemic, of course).

How do we preserve our trees and accommodate for human growth? The tree in Nairobi presents the problem in stark relief. It's a difficult question for every citizen, and Smart Feller is not immune to the forces involved. We work within the question every day, on nearly every job we take on. We're a business, but we're also humans dedicated to tree biology and longevity. How can we not be?

Which is why we tell you, our clients, how your trees can be preserved. When the soil can be treated and the microbiome improved. When cabling and bracing can be used to save a tree. When pruning will help (and when it won't). When something can be done to extend tree life, we will tell you. In Kenya, there is a tribe called the Kikuyu. They believe that fig trees house their ancestors. We're always curious: what do you feel for your trees? To what lengths will you go to help them?

So many tree stories, lately, end in tragedy. It was good to read about the great fig in Nairobi, spared from extraction by citizens who spoke out. We were in the process of revising our website, with more details about our ethos and our tree preservation services, when we read about it.

As always, call us with any questions you have about your trees.

Thanks for reading.

Onward into winter,

Smart Feller