Protest saves 200-year-old avenue trees in Märkisch-Oderland!

Protest saves 200-year-old avenue trees in Märkisch-Oderland!

Whether in the big city or in rural areas, citizens' concerns are increasingly being heard. Recently, a topic caused a stir in Märkisch-Oderland: the planned felling of numerous old avenue trees along the B167 between Seelow and Gusow. On Monday, around 100 people protested against these plans, including residents, local politicians and conservationists. Their message was clear: “Save our trees!” and they brought banners, signs and even music to emphasize their cause, as rbb24.de reports.

The planned felling will affect no fewer than 10 avenue trees and another 51 specimens, mainly old English oaks, possibly over 200 years old. One reason for these measures is the effort to defuse a narrow curve, which was initiated as part of a planning approval decision by the State Office for Building and Transport. Many residents were surprised because the traffic problem was considered solved not long ago after a 50 km/h zone was set up.

An unexpected scream

Nevertheless, the protest was successful: the avenue trees were saved for the time being. The deputy district councilor of Märkisch-Oderland, Friedemann Hanke from the CDU, expressed his concerns about the loss of essential landscape features. The head of the “Haus der Naturpflege” in Bad Freienwalde, Anke Jenssen, also criticized the planned replacement plantings and emphasized the ecological value of the old oaks. The regional association of BUND is even planning legal action against the felling decision, supported by local nature conservation groups.

But it's not just the felling of trees that is causing a lot of conversation in the region: As rbb-online.de reports, there is currently also an increased accident report at the fire department in 2024, which points to the dangers during operations. There is also news from Lusatia about a brown coloring of the Spree, which is caused by high iron sludge levels as a result of decades of mining. There are also challenges in the area of ​​public transport, especially for people with disabilities, as a railway line between Berlin and Hamburg is closed and replacement rail services have become necessary.

Serious accidents and safety considerations

These events are not unique to the region. A serious accident in Frankfurt (Oder) left 14 people injured and highlights the need to focus on safety concepts. A SEK operation in Königs Wusterhausen also attracted the attention of the population. At the same time, a training camp for rescue dogs takes place in Prignitz, which prepares the dogs for operations involving simulated accidents.

All of these topics show that there are currently many construction sites in Märkisch-Oderland and the surrounding area that affect both people and nature. It remains to be seen how the various conflicts will develop in the future and whether citizens' concerns will be heard in the long term.