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

What happened: A 200-year-old cottonwood tree known as the "grandmother" near the US-Mexico border in Lochiel, Arizona was pushed over by an excavator for border wall construction, after a tree-sit protest lasting more than 70 days ended with federal agents arresting demonstrators. Key numbers: Tree age 200 years. Tree-sit lasted more than 70 days. Why it matters: Erick Meza of the Sierra Club said the tree brought people together and there is now community outrage. The valley is a key wildlife corridor for jaguars, ocelots, bears, beavers and porcupines.

A 200-year-old cottonwood tree known as the "grandmother" near the US-Mexico border in Lochiel, Arizona was pushed over by an excavator for border wall construction, after a tree-sit protest lasting more than 70 days ended with federal agents arresting demonstrators.

Erick Meza of the Sierra Club said the tree brought people together and there is now community outrage. The valley is a key wildlife corridor for jaguars, ocelots, bears, beavers and porcupines.