Friday evening, a campus-wide petition went live. “STAND UP FOR NATURE AT UNION: Prevent Cutting Down Trees for Temporary Fencing” spread quickly through social media. With over 320 signatures, this issue has grabbed the attention of many Union students and alumni.
The creator of the petition, Ilana Goldner ‘26, voices her concerns about the potentially “unnecessary” removal of these trees. “The reason that I started this petition and showed up for trees, is because it deeply pained me to hear that these mature trees were cut down, both in general and for the reasons that they were. I care too deeply to not do anything.” She believes that the petition “brought attention to the fact that we can advocate for these beings that can’t advocate for themselves.”
Along with Goldner’s concern with the removal of the North Lane’s trees, she explained that of equal concern was the lack of transparency between the school and the students. Goldner believes that even though saving the trees on North Lane was not a complete success, “our voices matter;” that uplifting the student body and their opinions is key to a thriving campus.
Marc Donovan, Director of Facilities and Campus Development, stated: “these trees have been on our scheduled removal list for the past two years based on consistent professional evaluations. Our priority is to ensure safety, support the long-term health of our tree canopy, and allow for necessary infrastructure improvements.” Despite the fact that these trees have been considered for removal for two years, the reasoning behind the decision was not made clear to the student body, resulting in the outcry.
Joe Conti, Union’s arborist and grounds manager, is optimistic. He says that “the trees will have a use; the wood chips are going to the Octopus’s Garden and Jackson’s Garden, so they’ll stay local and in the ecosystem.” He believes that cutting down these sickly trees “creates an opportunity to plant something better, something different–something that will grow well.”
