#i accidentally put 'wonton destruction' at first omg

[notwiselybuttoowell]

The felling was due to start in March 2021. O’Callaghan invited residents to a socially distanced protest in her garden. Seventy people turned up. Workers took down three trees. “It was heartbreaking,” she says. “I couldn’t watch.” O’Callaghan made contact with the nonprofit Lawyers for Nature. “We discovered that seven species of bats were using the trees as a commuting corridor,” she says, “including the rare barbastelle bat.” Buckinghamshire Council got involved, and the felling was paused. So far just 12 trees have been taken down. “There are 87 trees still standing because of the campaign,” says O’Callaghan proudly. “But a further 20-30 trees remain under threat, as a final decision has yet to be made about the proposed over-road.”

“We’re optimistic that they’ll hear our argument and take on board the ecology of the lane,” says O’Callaghan. “We want them to put in a green crossing in the gaps between trees, for the bats, and we’d like the place to become a conservation area.”