Trees as Resource

Interview 24: Circle of Blue Spruce 

 

"We're standing inside the room made by five variants on coniferous pine trees. These are all young because they are hidden behind a large building. So, you have the triangle [of concealment to the] north of the building, and beyond this triangle's [area] are larger trees. The inside here is barren and the floor is made of pine needles. I wonder if people hang out here. I see a pigeon bone."

Within Park Mirze i Davora there is one triangularly shaped area that would have been shielded from sniper view by neighbouring buildings. Today, most of the trees in this park are between 150-200 years old and were likely planted during Austro-Hungarian Times. However, there is one exception to that assessment: the five spruce trees within the triangle of protection. In the place of trees cut for firewood, these five spruce were planted in their stead during the war. See the article excerpt below. The Location: Park Mirze i Davora, Sarajevo 71000.

War and trees: The destruction and replanting of the urban and peri-urban forest of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Igor Lacan Joe R.McBride:

"Amazingly, despite the hardships experienced in besieged Sarajevo, plans were made during the siege for replanting the city. Though these plans could not be implemented at the time, Sarajevans recognized the importance of (re)planting some trees as symbols of faith in the future of their city and as an act of defiance. This led to the transporting by the United Nations of a few Colorado blue spruce saplings from one of the Park-Sarajevo nurseries outside city. These were planted (by V. Beus and S. Hećo) adjacent to the President's Building, and are growing well today. Additionally, seed of horse chestnut and ginkgo in storage within the city were planted at abandoned army barracks by S. Hećo of Park-Sarajevo (Delić, personal communication), who subsequently hand-watered the seedlings potentially exposing himself to sniper fire."