Protected Species
“The tree that Mr. Thompson wilfully destroyed was a Maple Leaf Oak. The Maple Leaf Oak occurs only in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. It is a critically endangered species, protected by law in North America. There are only 600 specimens left in the wild,” declared Penelope.
“Oaks are also home to the highest invertebrate diversity of any other tree in the U.S., as well as countless birds, rodents, and other wildlife species,” she went on. Mr. Thompson’s face turned white. He knew this meant trouble.