And that includes, as my aforementioned hymn rephrase expresses it, not only the living, moving fauna, but the 'flora' that equally grace our increasingly fraught planet...
...be they native (indigenous) or introduced (exotic) species...
This - one of *three all-time personal favourite hymn 'numbers' by the 19th century composer Cecil Frances Alexander - expresses best as I can my **own long-gestated and articulated and indeed openly, actively-expressed views thereabouts...
...about the ***seeming ****double-standards and 'high-minded' indifference of those - some of whom in my own long-standing acquaintance, even friendship - articulating the culling of any plant (or indeed animal) which is not indigenous to a particular area...
Obviously my own land, Aotearoa-New Zealand - otherwise (in years gone by, anyhow) known as 'God's Own' and/or "Godzone' - has suffered immensely (as has been increasingly realized over recent times) from the introduction - generally entirely inadvertent and/or accidental, but nevertheless - of (what have effectively become) pest species...
...everything from rats to possums, stoats and ferrets - and wild boar, as well as thar, deer, wallabies...
(though let's not, let's indeed never ever forget those most intolerable of insects, the common housefly and the German wasp!)...
...and likewise, among its 'innumerable' 'invasive' plant species, everything from gorse and broom through to a plethora of weeds, over to all manner of exotic tree species...
*Those other two hymns being 'There Is a Green Hill Far Away' and 'Once in Royal David's City'.
**As evidenced - if such evidence were sought/desired/required - in submissions (and accompanying 'literature' thereabouts) still held in my hoarded possession from years/decades gone by...wherein I made personal representation/s to the particular individual/s concerned and/or entities (including local council etcetera) involved as to my own strong disagreement/opposition...to various removal of trees, notable and distinguished...even if (generally) not native varieties...
...including over the (highly) controversial 'culling' of a wonderful 'stand' of Douglas Firs up in Dunedin's blessed Ross Creek area back around 2000-2002 or so...
***For who am I to judge anyone else's inner motives and motivations, however much I happen to oppose the[ir] particular actions in any specific instance...
****Yes, you'd be correct to surmise that I'm writing now in regards to the present staunch protests up in Auckland over the imminent culling of a large stand of exotic - but prized - trees there...
...be they native (indigenous) or introduced (exotic) species...
This - one of *three all-time personal favourite hymn 'numbers' by the 19th century composer Cecil Frances Alexander - expresses best as I can my **own long-gestated and articulated and indeed openly, actively-expressed views thereabouts...
...about the ***seeming ****double-standards and 'high-minded' indifference of those - some of whom in my own long-standing acquaintance, even friendship - articulating the culling of any plant (or indeed animal) which is not indigenous to a particular area...
Obviously my own land, Aotearoa-New Zealand - otherwise (in years gone by, anyhow) known as 'God's Own' and/or "Godzone' - has suffered immensely (as has been increasingly realized over recent times) from the introduction - generally entirely inadvertent and/or accidental, but nevertheless - of (what have effectively become) pest species...
...everything from rats to possums, stoats and ferrets - and wild boar, as well as thar, deer, wallabies...
(though let's not, let's indeed never ever forget those most intolerable of insects, the common housefly and the German wasp!)...
...and likewise, among its 'innumerable' 'invasive' plant species, everything from gorse and broom through to a plethora of weeds, over to all manner of exotic tree species...
*Those other two hymns being 'There Is a Green Hill Far Away' and 'Once in Royal David's City'.
**As evidenced - if such evidence were sought/desired/required - in submissions (and accompanying 'literature' thereabouts) still held in my hoarded possession from years/decades gone by...wherein I made personal representation/s to the particular individual/s concerned and/or entities (including local council etcetera) involved as to my own strong disagreement/opposition...to various removal of trees, notable and distinguished...even if (generally) not native varieties...
...including over the (highly) controversial 'culling' of a wonderful 'stand' of Douglas Firs up in Dunedin's blessed Ross Creek area back around 2000-2002 or so...
***For who am I to judge anyone else's inner motives and motivations, however much I happen to oppose the[ir] particular actions in any specific instance...
****Yes, you'd be correct to surmise that I'm writing now in regards to the present staunch protests up in Auckland over the imminent culling of a large stand of exotic - but prized - trees there...
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