There are a whole lot more critters in the Santa Barbara area than there are people. Fortunately, most critters don’t need near as much private space as people do. However, there are exceptions with territorial wildlife species.
We also have lots of trees, bushes and vines in our area, so you wouldn’t think the removal of one lone tree would make a huge difference to the critters.
I have been witnessing the opposite over the past two weeks since a neighbor removed a large and healthy shade tree, which was right on her side of our fence. The impact on wildlife was immediate and remarkable.
The very first thing I noticed was the lack of shade in the western third of my back yard, which drove up ambient temperatures during the day. The next thing I noticed was the stark reduction in the numbers of birds flitting and chirping around my back yard.
That large tree was a haven for small to mid-size birds. The leaves and branches were home and sanctuary to bugs, beetles and whatnot, so the birds lost a food source.
Another noticeable effect from the loss of the tree was far fewer visits to our backyard by a local tree squirrel I named Squire the Squirrel. I once wrote a story about that critter here in the cyber pages of Noozhawk. Without the security of a large overhanging tree at one end of the yard, the squirrel seems to feel vulnerable and isn’t as cocky as usual.
The dog here loves that squirrel because the squirrel will run back and forth along the top of the fence while the dog chases it below. They both seem to have a blast playing this game. The squirrel is so sure handed on that fence that it is not worried about the dog below.
However, without that big tree, our yard just isn’t as appealing to the squirrel. The poor dog really misses the squirrel.
Bees and all manner of flying bugs are not frequent visitors like they were before. Some folks might not miss them, but I see them as important place-holders in the food web of nature.
I can’t argue with the need for removing the three, but I can lament what its loss means to our local wildlife (and my shade). The tree was lifting up the fence, pushing at telecommunications wires and power lines and generally making a nuisance of itself.
It was a healthy and rapid growing tree that needed to be trimmed every half dozen years or so, which became quite an ongoing expense for my neighbor.
Trees do need to be removed at times. My advice is to keep them around as long as possible because of their value to the local wildlife, as well as shade for us.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
