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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

TREEreadRED: Site 2000 After The Olympic Landcare Planting

1990-2000 Decade of Landcare:"Tasmanian landcarers paint a dead tree sited on the highway between Hobart and Launceston red, to highlight the issue of tree decline [1996]. The image captures the imagination of many people and becomes the inspiration of the red tree campaign of 1997 and the gold tree campaign associated with Olympic Landcare in 1998-2000. LINK "

To mark the end of the "Decade of Landcare" and associated with the "Olympic Landcare Gold Tree Campaign" TREEreadRED was moved from its original site where the REDreadTREE stood. In 2000 it was moved to the forfront of a fenced off site where several hundred trees and understory plants were planted.

TREEreadRED had won the unwelcomed attention of some the 'Midlands Wags' who had taken to visiting the site late at night in their 4x4s and climbing "the tree" off the bonnet. On leaving they occasionally nudged a letter or two. – OH BUGGER! – remember that Toyota advertisement. So, TREEreadRED started to look a bit disheveled from time to time.

The long and short of it was that the new landowner couldn't take the risk of someone being hurt and suing him – even if they were there and up to no good. So TREEreadRED was moved and the rest is now history. Sadly the planting at that time failed and only 2 trees have survived.

Interestingly 'The Understory Network' supplied plants and planters for this planting in cooperation with Landcare and other community members. And, just as interestingly there is currently a paucity of understory plants on the site today.


More on the TREEreadRED Planting: HERE

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