In the New Year’s Eve section we look back on the (almost) past year. Today is April, the month in which thousands fought to save a tree in Hollandscheveld that was threatened with felling.
Which tree has a massively signed petition, its own protest song and even enjoys national fame? Well, the pedunculate oak on the Albartsweg in Hollandscheveld.
For a long time, the vital and protected tree led a quiet and anonymous existence. The majestic eye-catcher in the open field, now about 100 years old, is beautiful at any time of the year. From beautiful foliage to bare, imposing branches.
Death sentence
Almost no one knew the tree. Until the municipality of Hoogeveen announced his death sentence at the beginning of April. The pedunculate oak must make way for a large transformer station (140 by 70 meters) from TenneT and Rendo, for companies that want to establish themselves on the Riegmeer industrial estate.
DvhN was the first to report the news. That article did not go unnoticed. The pedunculate oak attracted the attention of, among others, tree specialist Björn Olthof, also a board member of the IVN Hoogeveen department. He also did not know the tree at first.
“It is a nice specimen,” says Olthof. “The municipality even calls the tree worthy of protection and monumental. Because other trees in that area have already been cut down, it stands out even more. And there is a beautiful, private story attached to it.”
Grandpa Wolter
Olthof is referring to the account of Alie Kroezen from Hoogeveen. Her grandfather Wolter planted the tree in 1925 at his small farm on the Albartsweg. “My grandfather did that to get shade at the front of the house,” his granddaughter told this newspaper. “That tree was just part of the house.”
A rescue operation was launched, initiated by GroenLinks and supported by the local branch of IVN. Nearly 7,200 people signed a petition opposing the felling permit.
Stand by
Initially, the municipality stood its ground. According to then councilor Jan Zwiers, the felling decision was not taken lightly. He said he had made every effort ‘to safeguard ecological values’. His message: without a transformer station, sustainability in the region will stagnate, because the electricity grid is full. New companies cannot be connected.
But the genie was out of the bottle.
A snowball effect occurred on social media. A tweet from Hollandschevelder Fake ten Caat went viral and was viewed more than 660,000 times. Father Bertus even made a protest song. Various celebrities got involved. The pressure on the municipality to come up with a ruse increased.
After a few weeks, the municipality also started moving. The council sat down with the network operator, experts and initiators of a petition for the preservation of the oak to find an alternative.
Not deaf
With this step, the mayor and aldermen wanted to indicate that they were not deaf to all the commotion surrounding the decision to cut down the monumental tree. The council later acknowledged that the issue had been underestimated and spoke of a learning moment.
Olthof had not been idle in the meantime. He informed the Tree Foundation of the impending fate of the pedunculate oak, signed the petition, attended discussions with the municipality and supervised the research into the tree.
Saved
At the end of July this year came the happy news for many: the pedunculate oak has been saved. The monumental tree will be moved in the autumn of 2024. The new location is located approximately 250 meters away, on the edge of the new Riegmeer industrial estate.
But should you transplant old trees, referring to the well-known proverb? Tree expert Olthof is optimistic about the chances of success. “A hundred years sounds old, but for a pedunculate oak it is still a relatively young tree. In principle, they can live up to 400 or 500 years. This is still a young one, yes, haha.”
The researchers did not make any hasty decisions. Several people have assessed the tree. “We think the chance of survival is 95 percent.”
Carrot package
Preparatory work has already been carried out, such as ‘digging’ the tree. A layer is excavated so that the tree creates a compact root ball with new roots. Olthof: “We expect to be able to make do with a root package of 6 by 6 meters.”
The tree has already been pruned. Next autumn the oak will be prepared for transport with a construction of pipes and beams. Literally an important job. “The idea is to put the tree on a low loader and take it to the new location.”
The pedunculate oak then receives aftercare. Plenty of water, extra nutrients. So that the much-discussed pedunculate oak can show its splendor for many decades to come.
Protest song ‘The summer oak of Riegmeer’ by Bertus ten Caat
The oak is a fantastically beautiful tree,
especially when it’s in the magazine it’s a dream
so big, so green and so naturally proud,
and infinitely stronger than a beech or poplar
The oak really has a beautiful crown,
and that is why it fits in every garden,
it did not grow as fast as a chestnut,
but here on the Riegmeer it is a whopper!
That is the pedunculate oak of Riegmeer,
and when he’s gone he’ll never come again,
pedunculate oak
from Riegmeer
that tree remains standing, it must not be taken down!
The oak has very beautiful full branches,
that may well be said
The plan to chop historic wood here,
You can’t explain that to anyone…
The pedunculate oak started as a small acorn
But when he grew up he is now in need
We must take very good care of such a royal giant
You can’t just kill them like that!
It is the pedunculate oak of Riegmeer,
and when he’s gone he’ll never come again,
pedunculate oak (pedunculate oak),
van Riegmeer (van Riegmeer)
that tree remains standing, it must not be taken down!