CHINA: Elderly Tree Climbers Damage Botanical Garden

SHANGHAI (The Shanghai Daily), May 31, 2006: LOOK, don't eat. That is the message the Shanghai Botanical Garden wants to send to visitors, especially elderly people who drop by the park early in the morning, about fruit trees. Many of the garden's loquat trees have been damaged recently by hungry visitors who climb trees to pick some fruit to eat. About 20 of the trees now have broken branches, and maintenance workers say the climbers create extra work for them. "I have to say these are not commercial fruit trees, and are for viewing purposes only," said Li Xuemei, a spokesperson for the Shanghai Botanical Garden. The garden is home to more than 300 fruit trees, including loquat trees, plum trees, walnut trees, and cherry trees, which blossom throughout the year. Li said only a few people picked fruit in the garden in the past, but the problem has gotten much worse this year - a development she blames on improved growing methods. "Trees are grown better," said Li. "It seems that now we have a lot more uninvited fruit pickers." Photo by Pauline Ho, Landscape Architect. Courtesy: Ottawa Horticultural Society. The garden have hired 100 volunteers this year to watch the fruit trees. Pickers will be asked to come down. "But volunteers can't be there all the time. After all we hope the visitors could have more self-restraint," said Li. Most pickers are local retirees who go to the garden in the morning, according to Li. She also raised question about the dangers of eating fruit grown in the garden. The fruit trees are sprayed with normal pesticide, not with special agricultural pesticides suitable for food, she noted. "Since we didn't expect them to be picked and eaten, the pesticide residue on those fruits can still be poisonous," Li said. By Fu Yingqing Copyright © 2001-2005 Shanghai Daily Company