Despair after 200-year-old ‘grandmother’ tree toppled for Trump’s border wall: ‘It crushes your heart’

{"#tree-sit":"The ancient cottonwood tree, known as the 'grandmother', was the focus of a months-long protest by land defenders. The tree-sit began shortly after contractors knocked over and killed three other ancient cottonwood trees nearby on July 27th.","land-defenders":"Land defenders, including activists and environmentalists, spent over 70 days occupying the tree's canopy. They were joined by federal agents, including border patrol officers and a special forces tactical unit.","tree-toppling":"On Monday, more than 80 federal agents swarmed the protesters' camp, making arrests and preventing people from reaching the cottonwood. The tree was then pushed over by contractors with Fisher Sand & Gravel, a company building the wall.","ecological-impact":"The cottonwood tree is a hallmark of riparian forests, an endangered ecotype in Arizona. Its destruction threatens the ecological balance of the area, including the migration routes of animals such as jaguars, ocelots, bears, and beavers."}