I agree with Kepis and Bushwacker, I think there heart was in the right place, albeit a slight overkill. But as a tree surgeon myself, and seing the carefully undertaken work by "professionals" myself, they were either blind folded, or trying to see how badly they could do the job, or using day release kids from the nut house!!
If it had been one of the lads that work for me, they would have been fired!, Possibly hung,drawn, and quartered!
I try not to think about it, because it makes my blood boil and if it had have been me that saw the gorse cut down after 25 years of study of the adders etc, I think i would have cried, and then gone Charles Bronson on there bottom!!!
I feel for you