HOW wonderful to see a magnificent woodpecker on our local Hay-on-Wye river walk.

But how ironic that it required felling a tree that was a potential home and food resource for a real woodpecker to replace it with a carving of a woodpecker!

We need our woodlands to nourish all kinds of wildlife. We also need our woodlands to mitigate against the dire climate emergency that is about to engulf us all.

Trees play an incredible role in combating climate chaos by removing planet-wrecking emissions from the air.

Many thanks to our woodland volunteers who have done such a terrific job of making the footpath accessible and to our skilled carver.

However, maybe we should think again about cutting down trees.

Richard Greatrex and Deborah Gillingham

Hay-on-Wye