Northside’s campus is lined with trees that welcome students into the building every morning. These trees, ranging from oak trees to crab apple trees, are native to Northside’s soil and are treasured by the community.

In September 2023, the Northside trees received a “trimming” that has caused confusion among students, staff members, and administration. With all the confusion, the questions arise: Why was the trimming of the trees significant, and what does it mean for the trees moving forward?

When the trees were trimmed in September, many people likely did not notice why it was such a big deal. One of the most environmentally knowledgeable Northside community members on this topic is Ms. Qazi-Lampert, an AP Environmental Science teacher. With a background in environmental teaching, she provided insightful information on the trees themselves. 

Looking at the purpose that the trees serve for Northside, many students appreciate the presence of the trees as they add to the scenery and ambiance at Northside.

Ms. Qazi adds, “As an AP environmental science teacher, we go outside all the time whenever we can, and the weather’s really nice. And I feel like when you step outside, nature is shaped in such an extreme way that could be jarring.” As a school, we are very used to trees surrounding us, so their abrupt trimming might be visually surprising.

From an environmental perspective, the trees outside the school are not meant to be cut down aggressively like trees by the street are.

Ms. Qazi states, “Our trees here, I mean, they’re oak trees, and that’s what concerns me because we have a lot of native trees here that do not require a lot of aggressive hunting, and so when I see the same treatment being done to our oak trees, it makes me sad because I worry about whether they’re going to survive the freezing conditions, the climate change, climate extremes.”

The main concern is that the trees will not be able to recover after being trimmed so abruptly, especially during the winter; “When we engage in trimming, we typically do it in spring because the trees are able to quickly bounce back.”

Overall, cutting the trees during this period puts them at high risk as they aren’t able to properly heal and get ready for winter: “Think of it as like open wounds. They’re open and exposed, so there’s a chance for frost. There’s a chance for diseases, so I worry that the tree can get infected and that we’re pushing it to the edge where it’s dying.”

Principal Stuber said, “The engineer and facilities [are] kind of separate from the school” and that they have their “own separate process.” This situation, which impacts the community and the surrounding nature, almost seems to be out of the community’s hands. While this may feel true, there are routes towards better care for our greenery.

One way to protect Northside’s native trees is to hire a groundskeeper, a caretaker for the environment around the school, who will ensure that everything from the grass to the trees is maintained.

Ms. Qazi says, “Forestry knowledge and understanding needs to be there, and a groundskeeper will have that knowledge and background.” Since nature is so complex and there are different measures we need to take, a groundskeeper would be very beneficial as they will have the experience to take care of everything.

It is a matter of timing, whether the tree is ready, and if it needs it. For example, a tree requires maintenance if its branches are dying or infected, but there’s an extent to maintenance because it can end up as unnecessary cutting. It depends on a case-to-case basis.

The Climate Justice Committee for Green Schools Campaign is in the works of talking about a groundskeeper, although it requires a lot of funding. It will be a process, but in the meantime, as spring approaches, teachers such as Ms. Qazi and even colloquiums such as Green House Campus are doing casual maintenance and trimming. We can do our part by continuing to care for the environment, even if it’s through smaller actions.