Louisa Pearson: Even with some imminent cutbacks, it's still possible to be a tree-hugger – honest

I CAN'T wield an axe without thinking of Jack Nicholson losing his marbles in The Shining. But letting your mind wander while hacking through wayward tree roots is never a good idea. Last time I drifted off while chopping, I lost a pinkie. Okay, I made that up. But using the axe to hurt a tree did feel wrong – not something an eco-warrior should be doing.

Still, these roots had been inconsiderate enough to grow in the spot I'd earmarked for a gooseberry bush. No doubt the silver birch will get its own back next year by growing even more vigorous roots and stealing all the water and nutrients, denying me any chance of a home-made gooseberry fool.

And to think that the axe is just a prelude to the chainsaw (wielded by a card-carrying professional) that will fell two overgrown garden trees. Farewell, Mr Willow and Mr Rowan, your epitaph shall be, "We didn't look anything special, we cast shade over the whole garden and we took up valuable veg-growing space." Their number was up the day I moved in.

Alas, this tree-bashing spell clashes horribly with National Tree Week (www. treecouncil.org.uk, Wednesday to December 7), a festival that has been running since 1975 and has led to the planting of more than 20 million trees. Individuals, schools and community groups across the land will be planting saplings, and I'll sheepishly be joining them.

As usual, my motivation is largely selfish, and instead of picking native species, it'll be two apple trees, a plum and a sweet cherry tree that'll be getting nurtured until they're big and strong enough to fill my fruit bowl.

So why do people who aren't thinking of their stomachs bother with the tree-planting? The whole carbon-offsetting scenario has been largely discredited. Yes, the trees absorb C02, but they release it eventually and so can only be seen as a short-term fix – as opposed to, say, changing our energy-use habits.

Then there's the rather inconvenient truth put forward in 2006 by Dr Frank Keppler, of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics. He discovered that vegetation emits methane, and scientists have estimated that plants might be responsible for up to 30% of emissions of this potent greenhouse gas.

On the plus side, the methane emissions are lower than the amount of C02 a tree absorbs. This is my layman's understanding of the subject, and any specific queries should be directed to Dr Keppler's office.

That's about as much tree-bashing as I can muster, because I'm actually such a big fan of them. In Scotland, trees once covered an estimated 80% of the land (the figure is now 16.4%, with less than 2% considered native species). Woodlands provide a diverse habitat for all sorts of flora and fauna, from fungi to at-risk beasts like the red squirrel and capercaillie.

They give us timber, fuel and a place to feel healthy and relaxed. Did I mention that they look rather nice too? It's no wonder that so many organisations are dedicated to preserving and restoring them.

If you feel the same way, there is no shortage of projects to get involved with. You could help restore the Caledonian Forest (www.treesforlife.org.uk), plant native species at the Carrifran Wildwood (www.carrifran.org.uk) or get involved in a local community woodland (www. communitywoods.org). You could even, ahem, just plant your own private orchard.

Whatever you do, though, be sure to indulge your creative side via Tree Dressing Day (www.commonground.org.uk), which is actually a weekend – December 5 to 7 – when it is suggested that we celebrate trees by decorating them. My condemned trees shall be sporting sparkly baubles. But no matter how pretty their outfits, I'm not cancelling that chainsaw appointment.