Every year at this time, many people from outside the neighborhood arrive on public buses and by car to gather chestnuts from the large trees in the park. They arrive very early in the morning, sometimes 5am and stay until dark.
They have been seen hitting branches with a stick, throwing items up into the chestnut trees to have the chestnut fall among some of the actions witnessed by park goers.
The chestnuts are inside burs that are covered with very sharp spines that keep the nut protected. Sometimes, the burs sometimes open while still on the tree, but most seem to fall first, then open on the ground with typically 2 or 3 nuts inside. Then the empty are left behind.
The Laurelhurst Blog received this information from a neighbor:
I have witnessed multiple people using pole saws to cut down chestnut tree limbs in order to obtain chestnuts.
Both a man and a woman were using pole saws on the group of chestnut trees closest to the playground equipment. The man would then take the limbs that he had cut down and throw them over the side of the park near 48th Avenue NE.
I notified the staff inside of the Community Center. The Director came out and told them to stop cutting the tree limbs. The Director witnessed them using the pole saw and also the throwing of the limbs on the edge of the park.
This is both unacceptable and outrageous behavior.
Below are photos to show the destruction of the trees.
Shortly after, Seattle Parks and Recreation posted signs all around the park and surrounding the two largest chestnut trees.
However multiple reports still see people damaging the trees.
1 comment:
I remember doing this in the 60's, mostly on Webster Point. These poachers are basically harvesting by egregiously "pruning". I know exactly where those poles need to go.
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