You can start the power line cut project at our new place in Anderson
County. We have a power line cut in the back yard and I guarantee we
won't complain. Blue-winged and Golden-winged, Prairie, Yellow and
Mourning warblers are known to favor power line cuts, as well as Chats.
And you are right about the biodiversity impact potential, there is a
lot of land in power line cuts. Exciting!
On 10/28/2015 2:39 PM, Tony Brusate wrote:
While it may sound like a good idea to lobby the city to stop mowing medians and plant more wildflowers, I have to argue that it is not a worthwhile use of our time. Yes, I would love to see wildflowers spread across the roadsides, I'm not against that. But I have addressed this issue with the city already and I can tell you why it will not happen and why you don't really want it to happen anyway...
Why it will not happen: City government operates on a "do the least harm" and "get no complaints" mentality. While a few calls to city hall to say how beautiful the wildflowers along New Circle are might be nice, the city will "hear" the call of the one or two local property owners who complain that "those are weeds" much more than any compliments they might get. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. One local property owner complaining "not in my backyard" is all it takes -- then the city mows again. They don't like complaints.
Why you don't want it to happen: While a field of wildflowers along New Circle might attract a wide variety of biodiversity, this sort of biodiversity establishing itself within ten feet of vehicles traveling at 60+ mph is not a good thing. Attracting a bunch of monarchs to our new New Circle wildflower patch will generate a lot of monarchs smashed on windshields and automobile grills. When you think this through to its logical conclusion, there are a lot of disadvantages.
What we could (and maybe should) concentrate our efforts on: At one of the recent "Pollinator Pow-wows" that Tammy Horn puts on in Frankfort, a suggestion came up to plant native wildflowers along unused spaces -- but not unused highway spaces -- along the neatly mowed areas beneath power lines. These are areas where no-one tends to go, there are no 60+ mph vehicles, and yet they represent a very extensive network of wild spaces that are currently underused. There is talk of trying to get state funds or federal funds to push such a project. These throughways are usually not in anyone's backyard who might complain and they would provide natural habitat corridors which could crisscross the state. If we are serious about "lobbying" and "getting our hands dirty and planting something," we need to throw our collective weight behind this effort. It's not as high-profile as roadside wildflowers (who ever sees these throughways?) but is achievable and potentially a boon for biodiversity.
Tony Brusate
President, CKAS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2015 23:41:48 +0000
From: dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: justin@xxxxxxxxxxxx; sauersal1890@xxxxxxx; canonrose@xxxxxxx
CC: ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ask] Re: Depressing article
I would be willing to work with a group of those who would like to lobby the mayor or council (or whoever else may be the appropriate contact).
Suzanne Bhatt
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Justin Johnston <justin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* "sauersal1890@xxxxxxx" <sauersal1890@xxxxxxx>; "canonrose@xxxxxxx" <canonrose@xxxxxxx>
*Cc:* "ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Tuesday, October 27, 2015 4:21 PM
*Subject:* [ask] Re: Depressing article
In glancing at the 2014 Lexington-Fayette Budget, it looks like there is about $614,000 budgeted annually for mowing and an additional $622,000 for replacement/repair on mowers and tractors, totaling $1,236,000. This does not include the cost of fuel, trucks, or trailers used in mowing.
This is for a population of 310,797, approximately 129,190 households, so about $3.98 per year per person, or $9.57 per household. Doesn't seem like much but quite a bit when compared to some other programs. If anyone or any group is serious about lobbying for this I would be happy to help with the financial side to get some supportable solid numbers.
Source: http://www.lexingtonky.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=20806
-----Original Message-----
From: ask-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ask-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> [mailto:ask-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ask-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On Behalf Of sally wasielewski
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 3:34 PM
To: canonrose@xxxxxxx <mailto:canonrose@xxxxxxx>
Cc: ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ask] Re: Depressing article
This is a great discussion. Instead of worrying about what private landowners do, how about focusing on what the Urban County Govt and the Public Schools do in terms of spraying? mowing etc? voters/taxpayers might have a chance of influencing those bodies rather than for profit private horse operations. Just a thought.
On Oct 27, 2015, at 11:00 AM, <canonrose@xxxxxxx <mailto:canonrose@xxxxxxx>> wrote:
> They are not barren. You just can't see the life that is there as you drive by on a road. A desert isn't barren. You just have to look harder to see the life. I've lived in 5 states. I=v been so to Newfoundland, where the soil is so thin that many plants will not grow there, but a carnivorous plant does because it feeds on insects. I don't suppose she'd like Newfoundland much either.
>
> And here's another thing about the land. The Bluegrass was never forested. It was a savannah. They can explain that to you at the Division of Forestry while they encourage people to plant bur oaks and other native trees. The absence of forests was one reason the Bluegrass made such good farm land and why the early settlers (mostly farmers) prospered.
>
> I feel like I'm inventing the wheel here. I'm not a native (moved here in 1966) and I don't usually go in for cheerleading for anything. I was an organic gardener before I knew the word, I use no chemicals on my gardens, and not a leaf from my trees has ever been picked up. It all goes into mulch/compost. And I have great soil, because, they say, it was once a horse farm. My church on Parker's Mill Road next to a small horse farm is about to begin work on a large butterfly garden which will be, we hope, a Monarch Waystation.
>
> Somebody go plant a bur oak. You'll feel better.
>
> Rose
>
>
> Rose Canon
>
> ---- Sydney Penner <sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>> To be fair to the author, she did say that there were places that
>> have birds. She's not ignorant of that fact. I took her point to be
>> that surrounding those places there are all too many vast swaths of
>> space that appears to be green yet is biologically barren.
>>
>> Given all the research showing the dangers of merely fragmentary
>> nature preserves, these barren spaces should concern us. And, having
>> lived in four different states and three other countries, I have to
>> say that the inner bluegrass region has far more such barrenness than
>> any other place I've lived.
>>
>> Are there exceptions, places where one can find birds and other
>> wildlife? Absolutely, and we should be grateful for them. But I think
>> there is also plenty of room for improvement. The more of us do with
>> our yards what David did with his property, the better.
>>
>> Sydney
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/27/2015 10:10 AM, Rose wrote:
>>> Exactly, Dave. The author should have talked to you or looked at our website, or she could have gone to Shaker Village to see how farmland is being restored. As to the horse farms, my CBC team birds on Ramsay Farm with very good results. It's where we saw the Ross's goose a few yrs. ago.
>>>
>>> Moreover, and perhaps more important, the horse farms and the will to preserve them are the main roadblock to rampant urban sprawl and shopping centers that have paved over so much land. She might have learned this if she had done a little research. Instead she drove down one road and leaped to conclusions. She could have stopped at Buckley Sanctuary on her way to Frankfort if it were still there.
>>>
>>> Rose
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Oct 27, 2015, at 9:52 AM, David Lang <de_lang@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:de_lang@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I also found this to be true with my neighbors out here in Scott County. When they subdivided the farm behind my original lot, the new neighbors immediately cleared all the brushy areas in favor of big expanses of lawn. They even offered to help me clear out my brush. However, that was not my plan. Instead I have left my additional acreage to grow unmolested with the exception of walking paths that I maintain. It has been wonderful to see the open pastureland starting to succeed back into woodland over the past 15 years. I look forward to the next 15+ years to watch the further progression. The truly amazing thing to me is that I have not gotten any direct criticism for departing from the norm and most of the neighbors seam to enjoy the wild area with the walking paths.
>>>>
>>>> I have been rewarded in my effort in having a good diversity of birds on the property. My yard list now runs to 142 species. I usually get a nice mix of migrants stopping in the spring and fall as well as resident birds in the summer and winter.
>>>>
>>>> Landscaping for wildlife is something everyone with a yard can do. I have had the advantage of not really having had to do much, other than not mow. However, for those in the city with smaller yards can still do a lot to move away from big expanses of lawn by converting some of it to native plants and shrubs and adding some brushy areas that provide food and cover for wildlife. Just look at Lexington Cemetery to see what birds can be found in downtown Lexington.
>>>>
>>>> David
>>>>
>>>> From: Mark Tower <markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx>>
>>>> To: ASK <ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
>>>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 12:20 PM
>>>> Subject: [ask] Re: Depressing article
>>>>
>>>> I wanted you all to see Sydney's comment/question and my response to them.
>>>>
>>>> If anyone has other thoughts (or corrections to mine) about this I'd be interested to hear them.
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: Mark Tower <markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx>>
>>>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 12:17 PM
>>>> To: Sydney Penner
>>>> Subject: Re: [ask] Re: Depressing article
>>>>
>>>> I certainly think this is an American thing in general. Folks that live in the desert southwest try to have grass lawns. It's perplexing for sure. I'd love to know the underpinnings of this theme. I've heard a couple things.
>>>>
>>>> First, the primary original (and continuing) gardening influence in this country is English. And England has plenty of manicured landscapes (with or without other things other than grass). This remains the overriding sense of what is "beautiful" in this country when it comes to human-influenced landscapes. As a side note, I find it odd that most anyone can look at a truly natural landscape and appreciate beauty, even powerful beauty. But they think (maybe subconsciously) that's ok for a state/national park, but when it comes to their own property (large or small) they revert to the standard landscaping.
>>>>
>>>> Second, and I just heard this recently, the human attraction for the English estate-look may be something of an evolutionary thing. Someone suggested that the large overstory trees, well spaced, with good line of sight underneath was the perfect combination of providing shelter, seeing prey, detecting danger.
>>>>
>>>> Now the bluegrass region is a whole different animal. Somewhere along the way the typical horse farm got to look the way it does. At this point, enough people find the horse farm appealing that it has become the bluegrass "brand." It's what's unique for Lexington, and is it's primary marketable feature. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any (not even a little) political will to do anything to change the landscape features of the area. In fact, I've heard there's plenty of farms that are no longer financially viable, but are kept up with outside money (?taxes) to maintain the "brand."
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: Sydney Penner <sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:sfp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
>>>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 11:28 AM
>>>> To: markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> Subject: Re: [ask] Re: Depressing article
>>>>
>>>> I was able to read the whole article as a free preview, but it's
>>>> entirely possible that what it is possible to view for free varies
>>>> from user to user.
>>>>
>>>> And, yes, the vast green deserts around Lexington are one of the
>>>> most striking -- and depressing -- features of the area. That was
>>>> the first thing I noticed from the air already when I first flew into Lexington.
>>>> What was considered good landscaping in the previous places I lived
>>>> always involved lots of trees and shrubs, not just large expanses
>>>> of manicured grass. In England, for example, a properly maintained
>>>> estate may have some manicured grass, but it will also have
>>>> hedgerows and trees. Never mind birds for the moment. Some of us
>>>> think a landscape just looks nicer if it is filled with trees,
>>>> shrubs, herbaceous ornamentals, etc. And, of course, that ends up
>>>> being better for the birds, too.
>>>>
>>>> I'm still perplexed by the local fondness for manicured grass. Most
>>>> Americans seem to like their lawns, but it's carried to a further
>>>> extreme around Lexington. Any idea why?
>>>>
>>>> Sydney
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 10/26/2015 10:57 AM, Mark Tower wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks, Rose.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Is everyone else having this problem as well?
>>>>>
>>>>> ________________________________
>>>>> From: Rose <canonrose@xxxxxxx <mailto:canonrose@xxxxxxx>>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 9:33 AM
>>>>> To: markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [ask] Depressing article
>>>>>
>>>>> You have to subscribe to read the whole article.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 26, 2015, at 8:15 AM, Mark Tower <markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx><mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:markdt7@xxxxxxxxxxx>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I read this article<http://www.birdwatchersdigest-digital.com/birdwatchersdigest/november_december_2015/?pg=91&pm=2&u1=friend> in the most recent issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. Julie Zickefoose touched on many themes in the column, but for a few paragraphs there is (in my opinion) one of the most scathingly accurate assessment of the environmental life of the inner Bluegrass. Gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bird Watcher's Digest - November/December 2015 For more than 30
>>>>> years, Bird Watcher's Digest has been entertaining and informing bird watchers with our blend of excellent feature articles, bird species profiles, accounts of birding adventures, and stunning art and photography. Each 112-page issue of BWD covers a variety of topics from bird feeding and wildlife gardening to choosing birding gear, and improving your bird-spotting and identification skills. But most of all, BWD is delightfully enjoyable to read from cover to cover. Why? Because BWD is created and published by bird watchers, for bird watchers. We think you'll agree that once you open your first issue of Bird Watcher's Digest, you won't be able to put it down.
>>>>> Read
>>>>> more...<http://www.birdwatchersdigest-digital.com/birdwatchersdige
>>>>> st/november_december_2015/?pg=91&pm=2&u1=friend>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd say "enjoy," but it's really more like "read and weep."
>>>>>
>>>>> Mark
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com>
Version: 2016.0.7163 / Virus Database: 4457/10903 - Release Date: 10/28/15
