trim those acacias, help the zoo

there are a zillion acacia trees along skyline blvd… maybe half of them where my property hits the highway. they get cut back every five or so years, but grow like weeds. the only up side to this vicious cycle is that the oakland zoo will pick up the trimmings and feed them to the zoo’s elephants, giraffes, camels, zebras and elk.

the zoo’s elephant program is internationally acclaimed for its research and pachyderm amenities. it was among the first to train elephants using food, instead of physical discipline. cutting back acacias and helping the zoo is a win-win scenario.

but, in the latest entry in the “only in oakland” files, neighbors near the unused oak knoll site complained that the zoo was cutting down acacia trees without the required $54 license and made them stop. wow… neighbors coming together for the important stuff… not!

i’m always amazed when people treat acacias like trees that need to be protected. they are weeds… one notch below bamboo. you can’t kill ’em, you can’t get rid of ’em, and cutting them down to stumps just puts off their inevitable return a couple of years later.

do yourself a favor, and do the zoo a favor… trim those acacias and share the wealth.