I am in a deep state of shock and mourning at the recent discovery that eight majestic 60-plus-year-old juniper tree friends of mine were chopped down apparently with little consideration for the ecosystems they provided to our local critters for many years. It deeply saddens my heart to witness such a thorough lack of insight.
I was told by the Towbes Group, which manages Riviera Park that the junipers were “old” and “straggling” and that their plan was to “refresh” the space with lantana ground cover and a few pine trees. They assured me it would be a vast improvement and that I would be pleased.
I told them it was a tragic mistake, and nothing could change the fact that these artistic and magically twisting, turning elderly trunks could never be replaced with anything as special and sacred.
The idea that we must continue to improve our surroundings when they are already more than adequate is ridiculous and short sighted. I think in their eyes, junipers may be out of fashion.
The Towbes manager also said one of their goals was to make the space drought tolerant. These eight sacred beings were well established and extremely drought tolerant.
Santa Barbara is a treasure trove of botanical wonders that uplift and nurture the soul. The idea that old junipers would be scrapped for lantana ground cover is beyond my comprehension.
There was a feeling one would have deep in one’s bones when passing these old wise junipers that had gazed upon passersby for at least half a century or more. Junipers live to be 350-700 years old. The Towbes manager I spoke with claimed they were old and needed to be replaced with something more appropriate, and he assured me they were thinking about the longer term in 40 to 50 years’ time. I will be long gone and these junipers along with myself long forgotten. There is little honor in living this life without expressing and defending when necessary the voiceless around us such as the trees and critters.
When I lived in Carpinteria they made similar decisions to chop down 10 massive trees, which provided housing for critters and shade and beauty for all. But, progress must be made and the growth model must endure and parking lots must be upgraded for more cars to spew out more pollution. Will the human animal survive themselves and their “progressive” ideas in the guise of sustainability?
It is much more sustainable to leave an old established juniper than it is to chop it down and replace it with new plants that must be watered and nurtured. These junipers were large bonsai plants that got my imagination moving and they were poetic in their characters and smell of their leaves. They symbolized protection shielding against negativity and offered grounding and calmness. In traditional rituals, juniper is burned to cleanse and purify the air.
This plant does not just grow, it thrives across diverse climates, symbolizing adaptability and resilience. Lantana on the other hand forms dense thickets choking out native species leading to its complete dominance of the understory and eventually the canopy of trees.
Whatever landscape company sold the Towbes Group on the destruction of this iconic 60-year-old and drought-tolerant juniper tree landscape in order to plant invasive lantana ground cover gave a bad idea with little grounding in the reality of plants’ lives.
As I mourn my eight dead friends, it is with a deep sadness that I say so long, farewell, and I am so sorry for your lives being lost in this unthinking and brutal manner and for all the critters that have now been displaced, likely into nearby Orpet Park and neighboring yards.
