On Mar. 13, 2011, at around 9:00 a.m., Bed-Stuy residents Matthew Lewis and his wife Claudette Lopez-Lewis woke up to the sounds of workers cutting down a tree in the backyard diagonally across from theirs.
Within hours, a large oak tree that once canopied four brownstone backyards had been reduced to a pile of chopped wood and branches.
Not only did the workers cause a stir on that quiet Sunday morning, but they also destroyed one of the neighbor’s suspended television cables in the process and trespassed on to the Lewis’s backyard to remove fallen debris.
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One month has passed since the tree's decimation, and still no one has answers. The owner of the brownstone where the tree once stood could not be reached for comment. The Lewis family has asked neighbors, called the city... nothing.
No explanation has been offered surrounding the seemingly senseless destruction of an oak tree that has provided them protection and shade since the day they moved into their Monroe Street home eight years ago.
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“The leaves in the fall provided us with bags of mulch for composting,” said Ms. Lewis-Lopez. “It provided shade because it can get horrendously hot back here.”
To make matters worse, this isn’t the first oak tree to go.
“We have seen three trees chopped down here in the last eight years,” said Ms. Lopez-Lewis. “And that is unusual.”
The other two trees were cut down about five years ago, according to Ms. Lopez-Lewis. They were in the backyards of brownstones a few doors down from the recently fallen tree.
Natural vegetation in urban landscapes contributes to lower temperatures while also reducing stress on the city’s aging water system, according to studies conducted by The MillionTreesNYC Project.
Thousands of century-old trees were destroyed in Brooklyn behind last year's tornado and snow storms.
With a diminished tree stock, and as large-scale real estate developers continue to encroach upon the city's open spaces, preserving the greenery of Bedford-Stuyvesant's backyards has become even more imperative.
For these reasons, the Lewis family decided they could not longer stay silent, even if others do.
The Lewis's neighbors to the east, who did not want to be interviewed, called 311 to complain about the pile of branches that are still sitting there, according to Ms. Lopez-Lewis.
Since their backyards share a border, they are concerned that the debris would attract insects in the upcoming hot summer months. An inspector who came out to evaluate the site said their fears are justified.
The Lewises will replenish the lost tree with a baby dogwood they picked up at the Fort Green tree giveaway two weeks ago. They will plant it in their own backyard.
“Here we have this wonderful thing where trees are being given away,” said Mr. Lewis. “Meanwhile, citizens are randomly cutting down trees in our neighborhood."
There will be another tree giveaway in Bedford-Stuyvesant, next Saturday, April 23, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm (rain or shine) at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street.
