OH MY! YOUR SKIRT'S UP TOO HIGH!

This is two photos of the same tree.

Maybe this doesn't look too bad at first glance. The tree looks healthy. Lots of greenery at the top. So why is it in the Shame Hall of Fame? Well it's a Coastal Redwood. The tallest trees in the world. The tallest of which is growing in northern California up near Eureka. Forestry Service won't say which one but they know. I know. I know. It's a conspiracy....yeah right. Back to this tree. It's in the Seabright part of Santa Cruz and obviously a landmark in the neighborhood. A well-established tree company did this work. They probably called it "skirting" which the correct term but in this case it is mutilation. I understand the owners wanted to remove the tree because it is "messy". Can't argue there. Redwoods are among the messiest trees around here. They drop duff at the rate of an inch or more a year.

Since there's a Heritage Tree Ordinance in Santa Cruz, their application for removal was denied so they did the next worse thing by having all of the lower two  ⅔ of the foliage removed. This means the "food and moisture" collecting parts are greatly diminished. Redwoods are very hardy trees but they can't stand this kind of hacking very well but it will survive. The botanical name for Coastal Redwood is Sequoia sempervirens. Sempervirens in latin means "everlasting". The tree produces in three ways. Seeds, root runners, and suckers. That's how they can sustain themselves.
Besides the well-being of the tree being compromised, the aesthetic value is destroyed and the natural growth habit has been altered for the rest of its existence.  What a shame.