Eucalyptus trees removed from the shores of Lake Poggio dei Pini: the numerous plants that surrounded the artificial body of water in the greenest residential area of Capoterra were cut down by a company commissioned by the Land Reclamation Consortium of Southern Sardinia. Some had been there for fifty years, others had grown rapidly after the 2008 flood, exceeding ten meters in height, but now only a memory remains of the eucalyptus trees that surrounded the lake.
The felling of the trees, which is nearing completion, is part of the extraordinary work financed by the Region to secure the lake, which should solve the problems of that area of Poggio dei Pini once and for all. From many residents to the benches of the City Council, the felling of the eucalyptus trees – despite being an invasive species – does not please everyone . Francesco Dessì, former mayor and opposition councilor, criticizes the decision to cut down all the trees: «I do not agree with the indiscriminate felling of all the eucalyptus trees. I thought that the felling was limited to just a few trees, instead of the forest that characterized the banks of the lake, practically nothing remains. Some of those trees, moreover, had been there for at least half a century, so in my opinion, they also had historical importance. Trees should never be cut down, but new ones should be planted: eucalyptus trees, moreover, offer shelter to bees, and allow them to produce quality honey».
Franco Magi, president of the municipal council and a resident of Poggio dei Pini, has followed the work closely: "The felling of the trees is now almost complete. Such a thorough cleaning of the banks was not planned, but several trees were diseased and had to be cut down . The cleaning work, not originally foreseen in the tender specifications, was scheduled following the meeting held last November in the offices of the Land Reclamation Consortium of Southern Sardinia with the mayor Beniamino Garau and representatives of the Poggio dei Pini Cooperative, who insisted on restoring the lake to its original beauty. In the meantime, the flow of the lake continues to increase naturally: even if the San Gerolamo stream is not flowing on the surface, the body of water is being fed by an infiltration from the riverbed, which constantly feeds the reservoir."
