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Someone is deliberately felling holly trees in Oberdorf SO.
Image: zVg
In the Solothurn municipality of Oberdorf, an unknown perpetrator has been deliberately felling holly trees for months - to the annoyance of the local forestry company.
Strange goings-on are currently taking place in the 1800-strong community of Oberdorf in the canton of Solothurn. Someone is deliberately felling holly trees in the forest. Almost 100 such trees have been cut down so far.
"Someone must have a problem with holly. We can't explain it any other way," says Thomas Studer, head of the responsible forestry operation Leberberg, to blue News.
At first, it was thought to be a mix-up with the invasive cherry laurel, the sale and planting of which has been banned in Switzerland since September 2024. "However, we have since discarded this assumption, especially as this person has been lurking around here for almost a year," says Studer.
Unlike cherry laurel, however, holly is native to Switzerland. It is an evergreen deciduous tree species that can grow both as a shrub and a tree. It is known for its prickly leaves and is often associated with winter and Christmas.
The berries of the holly serve as food for birds and the spiny teeth on the leaves give the plant its name.
Keystone
The forestry operation in Oberdorf assumes that it is a single person, based on the sighting of a passer-by: "Two weeks ago, a person was observed felling a tree with a chainsaw," explains Studer. The woman then informed the municipal works yard, but the suspect managed to escape.
When the system behind the felled hollies was discovered, the forestry company initially responded with signs on the trees that were still standing. This drew attention to the protected status of the plant. The sign also states that only forestry staff are allowed to intervene in the forest.
To no avail: Thomas Studer and his employees kept coming across felled trees. "This week we are pressing charges against unknown persons."
Especially as the holly plays an important role in the local forest: "It has berries in winter and provides food for birds," says Studer. It also has a symbiotic relationship with fungi. If it is missing, it is simply "an impoverishment of the ecosystem".
There are a relatively large number of hollies in the Oberdorf forest, and Studer explains that his people have strict instructions to preserve the holly when logging. "And now someone is coming along and ruining our efforts." He cannot understand this. "It's a bit of a disaster for us."
Thomas Studer believes it is unlikely that the perpetrator will be caught. The hope is that the report will act as a sufficient deterrent.
