Keep off the trees in Oderzo

As well as “Keep off the grass” notices in Oderzo, expect to see others that warn “Don’t climb the trees.”

Bylaws in this northern Italy town (population 20,000) already included the prohibition, but came under the spotlight when councillors were asked to approve fines of between €25 and €500 not only for tree-climbing but also lying on benches.

Mayor Maria Scardellato defended the much-criticised measure, explaining that tree-climbing had been outlawed to ensure public safety and protect the trees from damage.

Opposition councillor Giulia Princivalli immediately weighed in, criticising the ban as “absurd.”

Talking to the Corriere del Veneto newspaper, Princivalli said it was also paradoxical to stop children from climbing trees, when there was so much concern about the time they spent looking at their mobile phones.

“It would be enough to put signs up warning parents that the council was not liable for accidents or injury,” the councillor said.

Local psychologist Mirco Casteller also condemned the prohibition.

“Play, even when risky, is important for the human mind,” he told the local media.

“The experience of climbing trees allows children to know their limits.”

Scardellato admitted that she had been inundated with calls from people asking her to clarify the thinking behind the regulations.

“Obviously it does not apply to trees in the countryside or in private gardens but to those in the town centre or public areas,” the mayor said.

“I have never seen a town centre where people climb the trees,” she wrote on Facebook. “There is absolutely no desire  to limit children’s play.”