Tree Sitters Prepare for Students Return

After watching the destruction of the Memorial Oak Grove at Berkeley last weekend, the Tree Sitters at UCSC are on guard for this last week of summer. "It was hard to see those oaks get cut," said Tree Sitter Raven, "especially knowing that it could happen here."

The UCSC Tree Sitters say that their presence is more important than ever since the Santa Cruz City Council settled their lawsuit with the University. The settlement gives the City Council's blessing for UCSC to begin the first phase of their construction plan that will eventually destroy 120 acres of forest and add at least 4,500 new students to the area. The first building slated for construction is the Biomedical Sciences Facility and the Tree Sitters are occupying the place where it is to be built.

UCSC Tree Sitters have taken a stand against construction before it begins. Precious watershed regions, unique manzanita groves and hundred-year old redwood forests will be destroyed by the University's unfettered construction. The homes of such rare native animals as the burrowing owl and the endangered red-legged frog will be devastated. The University's plan sacrifices the unique ecosystems, as well as the highly esteemed liberal arts education that attracts many people to Santa Cruz. Following the trend of privatizing public universities, current students are paying more for education and receiving less.

Three clusters of redwoods have been inhabited since November 7, 2007, when over 500 students, alumni, and community members rallied in opposition to the University's plans. Other tree sits have been added, using the same technique of carefully securing pre-built platforms to several redwoods without harming the trees. Tree sitters have continued their vigil through police attacks, winter storms, ninety-mile an hour winds and the long days of summer.