Death certificate for trees shows respect to nature

Fifteen various trees planted at Xiangmihu Subdistrict in Futian District were recently issued death certificates by plant experts, which demonstrated the city’s respect to nature and ecology, receiving praise from some residents, Shenzhen Evening News reported Sunday.

              The death certificate for a tree issued by plant experts is posted on the tree Shenzhen Evening News

Information, including the issuance date of the certificate, the dead tree’s location, expert group members and their opinion on how to handle the trees, were written on the certificates, along with the title, organization and signature of the experts.

A staffer from the Futian District Urban Management and Comprehensive Enforcement Bureau told the News that every street tree has a QR code, which contains the tree’s information and is equivalent to the ID card of the tree. The city pays tribute to nature, shows ecological goodwill and respect to life by issuing a certificate for a dead tree.

Shen Huashan, a professor from Shenzhen Nongke Group, said: “Since the second half of 2022, it has become a fixed procedure for Futian to invite experts for tree death identification. This is a huge progress in the standardized management of trees. The 15 trees died from various reasons such as being unable to adapt to the environment and suffering from diseases and pests, which is a normal phenomenon.”

A female resident surnamed Sun said she felt warmth from the bottom of her heart after seeing the death certificates. “We need to have more respect to the trees’ value of life, and I also let my child understand the meaning of it and raise awareness on environmental protection,” she said.