What makes Charleston and its environs more beautiful than practically anywhere else on earth? [Hint: it's not its lovely, painstakingly-restored 19th-century houses, found only in relatively small areas.]On either side of the entrance to my home just outside of Corpus Christi, Texas, stood two small but healthy trees. There among the mesquite and palms the species looked vaguely familiar, so I had to ask.
Well, yes, they were stunted versions of the gloriously full-size and moss-draped live oaks I knew from the Lowcountry. Corpus reminded me of Charleston in many ways--a Naval Base, beautiful beaches--but it lacked large trees, thanks to its semi-arid climate.
What a difference those trees can make!
So when I hear about hundreds of trees being cut down in "buffer zones," even if it's in Berkeley County, I fear for Charleston's future. As reported Saturday in the Post and Courier [see Felled trees net man 110 tickets] , so do others: "[Berkeley] County officials say clear-cutting has become a widespread problem; developers can cut down 100-year-old live oaks on their property without penalty. The article suggests that "Charleston County, which has a tree removal ordinance, also is grappling with the problem."
Some of us are old enough to remember when the "Savannah Highway" near its intersection with Wappoo Road was lined on both sides with those grand oaks. We can remember the heavy equipment moving in to remove them and the locals who said nothing could be done to stop their removal. We can remember the appalling raw look when they were gone. Many of us have never gotten over it.
Yes, old houses can be beautiful, but even a run-down shack surrounded by gorgeous live oaks partakes a little of heaven. I learned that in Corpus Christi, where a run-down shack was just, well, a run-down shack.
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