HACKNEYITES ARE FORTUNATE to have a borough council that is more eco-minded than most in London.

Sometimes, however, little things can go wrong, as when Hackney’s parks team planted pines this spring 2021 to prettify a corner of Dalston notable for recycle bins and the rats that have established a colony to scoop up bread thrown down for common pigeons.

The pines took to their new home and were surviving even the dinilos who mistook the protective lacework surrounding the trees for rubbish bins. When a mini drought hit they started to wither.

Whether it was too late or the messages from worried residents were lost or ignored probably cannot be known, but two saplings dried out. The council parks department said it was expecting rain. Sadly, by the time the inevitable downpours came, two saplings were dead.

This is a minor matter about a few trees yet it illustrates the difficulties of keeping an eye on a lot of trees. One solution is for more of us to take an interest in those near our homes and to help the council with updates as necessary.

David Altheer 031021

* Hackney Parks and Green Spaces office: parks@hackney.gov.uk

* Backstory: The marvel of Martel Place; Woman buys a Hackney store’s glue traps to avoid rats horror; Big stink hits Dalston; Haggerston’s frolicking rat families; Councillor buys trees for people of Hackney

* Pictures © DavidAltheer@gmail.com. All available for sale via that eddress. Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink.

* Links to articles in The Guardian do not imply any approval of the newspaper’s historic involvement with slavery.