by Lesley Lyle | October, 2023 | Ecology
In 1970, Joni Mitchell recorded the song “Big Yellow Taxi,” which contained the immortal words, “don’t it always seem to go, that we don’t know what we’ve got ’til it’s gone.” I think the lyrics referred to the breakdown of a relationship but recent events made me think of them. On September 27th, 2023, it was announced that the famous Sycamore Gap Tree had been felled in what appeared to be an act of vandalism. The tree had been an iconic feature in the landscape for more than 200 years. While it is undeniably sad and shocking, it’s also quite intriguing how the event has resonated with people all over the world. Many individuals in both the UK and abroad probably weren’t aware of the tree’s existence until it no longer existed. Within a few days, there was a need to appeal to the public to stop visiting the site, now referred to as “the former Sycamore Gap.” It might seem like a strange phenomenon, but a similar occurrence took place in 1911 when Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa was stolen. If you’re wondering how one of the world’s most well-known paintings could have been so unprotected, one of the reasons was that it wasn’t particularly famous until the theft occurred and was reported in the world press. As a result, throngs of people flocked to the Louvre simply to observe the empty spot on the wall. Is there a lesson to be learned here? Is it that we sometimes or maybe often, fail to truly appreciate what we have until it’s no longer there. Please...
