When she saw the tree being felled in front of her school, first grader Emilia decided to fight for a replacement - and wrote to the mayor.
Hohenpolding
- “Tommy” was a playmate for generations of pupils at the Hohenpolding elementary school.
Because of the risk of branches breaking off, the old birch behind the school building now had to be felled.
Six-year-old first grader Emilia Turra observed this in horror while she was homeschooling at the window of her parents' house in the nearby Klausenberg housing estate.
Immediately after "Tommy" had been sawed down by employees of the building yard, she decided to contact Hohenpolding's mayor, Alfons Beilhack.
With the help of her mother, Silke Turra, an e-mail was established.
Beilhack explained: “I am so sorry about what happened to Tommy, but the tree was sick, very sick in fact.
We were afraid that the branches could fall down at any time, but no later than the next storm, and then seriously injure you, your parents or friends. "
The new tree is called Willy, named after Emilia's cat
Six-year-old Emilia and the mayor quickly agreed that two new trees had to be planted.
This has now happened in the presence of Emilia's whole class.
"Willy" is the name of the young field maple, named after Emilia's tomcat.
Her classmates named the freshly planted red oak next to it "Lilly".
To dig in, Emilia and Mayor Beilhack took shovels together, and two building yard employees attached several birdhouses to scaffolding.
Emilia is happy with the replacement for Tommy.
By the time the two trees are used again to play hide-and-seek or provide great shade in summer, she will have left primary school.
The two names Willy and Lilly will continue to bear the young trees.
(FABIAN HOLZNER)
