South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

I have this sneaking suspicion that the spaces under “Saturday” and “Sunday” are sitting blank in your planner right now. If you’re not dashing onto a plane to escape the return of chilly weather to New York, I’m going to make a solid suggestion: get your camera. You probably have one sitting on the shelf somewhere, pitifully neglected, waiting for the day you make the commitment to get out and start learning the craft.

If you haven’t etched your plans in stone, put a few bucks on your MetroCard and head to the Bronx with your Nikons, your Canons, your Fujis or whatever else you can come up with. We’re actually going to reward you for participating in our Caribbean Garden photography contest, not just with the chance to come back for a course or workshop of your choosing with our NYBG educators, but for tips and tricks provided by professional garden photographers this Sunday afternoon. You can’t keep making excuses! Because who knows? Wait too long and the steamroller of technological innovation just might make your camera format obsolete.

Okay, that last bit is a patent exaggeration, but we get such a kick out of judging submissions for our weekly Caribbean Garden photo contests that I’m willing to go to any length to get more submissions. The bigger the field of contestants, the better the experience when sorting through all that creativity (my selfish motivations are showing). Take a look at this past week’s winning photos to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Whether or not the click and whirr of the camera is your niche, there’s something going on this weekend to get you out of the house:

Saturday, February 4

Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

I was out and about on Wednesday and happened to catch Rose and Vince–two of our veteran Red-tailed hawks–circling overhead near the Library Building. Join Debbie Becker this Saturday and you’ll probably have similar luck–they’re not exactly hermits. Bring your camera or your binoculars and along the way you might spot diurnal owls on the hunt, songbirds, and a number of other native avian guests.

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Green School

When it’s cold outside, you always feel better on the move than you do standing still. Not that this is an issue to consider for the weekend. Throughout the run of our Caribbean Garden exhibition we’re offering the chance to work out the winter in our salsa classes, learning the history, tradition, and steps of Cuba’s favorite dance style in the warmth of the Conservatory.

Sunday, February 5

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops. Boost your skill while you take part in our Caribbean Garden photo contest through tips, tricks, critiques and more–these guys aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with burgeoning photo artists.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden

Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.

Adventures in Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Self-guided

For a kid, there’s always the imagination to fall back on, but sometimes a tangible challenge is what really does the trick. To that end, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into an adventurous jungle with questions and answers around every bend. Pick up a field notebook at the ticket booth on your way into the NYBG and set the kids on a scavenger hunt to not only figure out what plants Dr. Ed Apshon is talking about, but to find out where in the world he’s headed next.

Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.

Tags: Adventures in Adaptation, Caribbean Garden, Photography Contest, weekend

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Around the Garden, Exhibitions, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/exhibit-news/clicks-and-whirrs-in-the-conservatory-this-weekend/

Related Posts:

• Clicks and Whirrs in the Conservatory this Weekend
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4

I have this sneaking suspicion that the spaces under “Saturday” and “Sunday” are sitting blank in your planner right now. If you’re not dashing onto a plane to escape the return of chilly weather to New York, I’m going to make a solid suggestion: get your camera. You probably have one sitting on the shelf somewhere, pitifully neglected, waiting for the day you make the commitment to get out and start learning the craft.

If you haven’t etched your plans in stone, put a few bucks on your MetroCard and head to the Bronx with your Nikons, your Canons, your Fujis or whatever else you can come up with. We’re actually going to reward you for participating in our Caribbean Garden photography contest, not just with the chance to come back for a course or workshop of your choosing with our NYBG educators, but for tips and tricks provided by professional garden photographers this Sunday afternoon. You can’t keep making excuses! Because who knows? Wait too long and the steamroller of technological innovation just might make your camera format obsolete.

Okay, that last bit is a patent exaggeration, but we get such a kick out of judging submissions for our weekly Caribbean Garden photo contests that I’m willing to go to any length to get more submissions. The bigger the field of contestants, the better the experience when sorting through all that creativity (my selfish motivations are showing). Take a look at this past week’s winning photos to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Whether or not the click and whirr of the camera is your niche, there’s something going on this weekend to get you out of the house:

Saturday, February 4

Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

I was out and about on Wednesday and happened to catch Rose and Vince–two of our veteran Red-tailed hawks–circling overhead near the Library Building. Join Debbie Becker this Saturday and you’ll probably have similar luck–they’re not exactly hermits. Bring your camera or your binoculars and along the way you might spot diurnal owls on the hunt, songbirds, and a number of other native avian guests.

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Green School

When it’s cold outside, you always feel better on the move than you do standing still. Not that this is an issue to consider for the weekend. Throughout the run of our Caribbean Garden exhibition we’re offering the chance to work out the winter in our salsa classes, learning the history, tradition, and steps of Cuba’s favorite dance style in the warmth of the Conservatory.

Sunday, February 5

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops. Boost your skill while you take part in our Caribbean Garden photo contest through tips, tricks, critiques and more–these guys aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with burgeoning photo artists.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden

Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.

Adventures in Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Self-guided

For a kid, there’s always the imagination to fall back on, but sometimes a tangible challenge is what really does the trick. To that end, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into an adventurous jungle with questions and answers around every bend. Pick up a field notebook at the ticket booth on your way into the NYBG and set the kids on a scavenger hunt to not only figure out what plants Dr. Ed Apshon is talking about, but to find out where in the world he’s headed next.

Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.

Tags: Adventures in Adaptation, Caribbean Garden, Photography Contest, weekend

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Around the Garden, Exhibitions, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/exhibit-news/clicks-and-whirrs-in-the-conservatory-this-weekend/

Related Posts:

• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis

January 20, 2012; Isla Hoste, Estero Fouque, approximately 55º11′S, 69º35′W

After yesterday‘s late night, we were all slow to rise this morning. Which turned out to be okay, because at around 5:30 a.m. the crew decided to move to our next site; the movement of the ship was all the incentive we needed to sleep in.

When the ship stopped we got up for breakfast. Today’s first site is–like yesterday afternoon’s site–on Isla Gordon. From the map this site appears to have a glacier-fed stream that enters the sea near the end of a small sound, and this is indeed what we have found. But what we couldn’t see from the map is that the glacier is over the rise of a tall, steep slope, and after yesterday’s exhaustion, there wasn’t much enthusiasm for such a climb. So most of us chose to collect specimens on a relatively flat Magellanic tundra.

Magellanic tundra

About halfway through the morning I reached a point where I could see a large cliff face only about a 10-15 minute walk away. So, instead of heading for a forest I had been eying, I struck out for the cliff. As soon as I arrived, I knew I had made the right decision; I immediately started finding interesting mosses. The cliff face was mostly wet, but in certain places, over-hanging rocks created little dry areas, and these dry areas were host to a whole different suite of mosses.

The next thing I came across was a bit of a surprise: A medium-sized tree that had recently been gnawed down by a beaver. Beavers are an introduced, invasive species that are causing extensive damage in the region because they have no local natural enemies.

Back on the Don José Pelegrín

Mink–similarly released after having been initially imported by the fur industry–are also causing havoc with local bird populations by feasting upon their eggs. Both species are spreading at an alarming rate, and, unfortunately because the climate here is so different from the animals’ native ranges, the fur is less desirable–and thus the industry abandoned.

Lunch was a bit late today, but because of that I was able to get the morning’s collections numbered before heading out to the afternoon’s site. I am trying to get back into a routine of numbering my collections immediately upon returning from the field.

This afternoon’s site was once again chosen from a map rather than from personal experience. The map showed a river draining a series of three lakes. I slowly trudged up the hill and when I reached the summit I could see a small lake below me. Even though a number of our group were ahead of me, I could see no one. I worked down to the lake and saw a dripping cliff face that drew me to it. I spent a good hour and a half collecting along the cliff and found many interesting species.

Isla Gordon, looking down

However, I was puzzled that the map showed three lakes, but I could only see one. So, I climbed another hill to survey the area. From there I could see the drainage of my lake down to the sea, but no other lakes. It turns out that to have seen the other two, larger lakes, I would have needed to climb the rise on the other side of my lake. Oh well! My new found aerie was useful though, because I noticed that far in the distance I could just see the pile of bright orange life jackets we had left on the shore. This made me realize that they were a very long way away, and so I started heading towards them right away, working down the outlet stream from the lake. My progress was slowed by the numerous bryophytic sirens that called me down to the stream. However, I was still the first one back at the meeting point.

Picking up Ernesto and Juan

Once we were all back on board, our captain turned the ship toward tomorrow’s collecting site, Estero Fouque. This long, narrow sound has numerous glaciers along it. Tomorrow we should be collecting immediately adjacent to these glaciers. I doubt anyone will sleep in tomorrow morning!

Bill Buck’s Previous Reports From the Field:

2012

January 19, 2012; Chile, unnamed sound on north-central coast of Isla Hoste, approximately 55º00′S, 69º12′W

January 18, 2012; Canal O’Brien, just south of Isla O’Brien, 54º55′S, 70º35′W

January 17, 2012; Punta Arenas, Chile

2011

July 15, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

July 14, 2011; Pyengana, Tasmania, Australia

July 13, 2011; Weldborough, Tasmania, Australia

July 12, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

July 11, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

February 8, 2011; Punta Arenas, Chile

February 5, 2011, unnamed sound northwest of Isla Georgiana

February 4, 2011, unnamed sound directly east of Seno Mama, Chile

February 2, 2011, Seno Courtenay, northern arm, Chile

February 1, 2011, Seno Courtenay, Chile

January 31, 2011, Canal between Isla Georgiana and Isla Clementina,, Chile

January 30, 2011, Unnamed sound on south side of Brecknock Peninsula, NW of Isla Georgiana, Chile

January 29, 2011, Isla Aguirre, Seno Quo Vadis, Chile

January 26, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

January 24, 2011, Seno Chasco, just north of isthmus to Brecknock Peninsula, Chile

January 23, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Puerto Consuelo, Seno Chasco, Chile

January 22, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile

January 21, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile

January 20, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Bluff, Chile

January 18, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

January 16, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

Tags: Bill Buck, Bill Buck Cape Horn 2012, Bryophytes, Lichens, Mosses, Science, Science Expeditions, The New York Botanical Garden, Vascular Plants

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Around the Garden.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/around-the-garden/from-the-field-bill-buck-in-cape-horn-day-4/

Related Posts:

• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis
• Clicks and Whirrs in the Conservatory this Weekend

January 20, 2012; Isla Hoste, Estero Fouque, approximately 55º11′S, 69º35′W

After yesterday‘s late night, we were all slow to rise this morning. Which turned out to be okay, because at around 5:30 a.m. the crew decided to move to our next site; the movement of the ship was all the incentive we needed to sleep in.

When the ship stopped we got up for breakfast. Today’s first site is–like yesterday afternoon’s site–on Isla Gordon. From the map this site appears to have a glacier-fed stream that enters the sea near the end of a small sound, and this is indeed what we have found. But what we couldn’t see from the map is that the glacier is over the rise of a tall, steep slope, and after yesterday’s exhaustion, there wasn’t much enthusiasm for such a climb. So most of us chose to collect specimens on a relatively flat Magellanic tundra.

Magellanic tundra

About halfway through the morning I reached a point where I could see a large cliff face only about a 10-15 minute walk away. So, instead of heading for a forest I had been eying, I struck out for the cliff. As soon as I arrived, I knew I had made the right decision; I immediately started finding interesting mosses. The cliff face was mostly wet, but in certain places, over-hanging rocks created little dry areas, and these dry areas were host to a whole different suite of mosses.

The next thing I came across was a bit of a surprise: A medium-sized tree that had recently been gnawed down by a beaver. Beavers are an introduced, invasive species that are causing extensive damage in the region because they have no local natural enemies.

Back on the Don José Pelegrín

Mink–similarly released after having been initially imported by the fur industry–are also causing havoc with local bird populations by feasting upon their eggs. Both species are spreading at an alarming rate, and, unfortunately because the climate here is so different from the animals’ native ranges, the fur is less desirable–and thus the industry abandoned.

Lunch was a bit late today, but because of that I was able to get the morning’s collections numbered before heading out to the afternoon’s site. I am trying to get back into a routine of numbering my collections immediately upon returning from the field.

This afternoon’s site was once again chosen from a map rather than from personal experience. The map showed a river draining a series of three lakes. I slowly trudged up the hill and when I reached the summit I could see a small lake below me. Even though a number of our group were ahead of me, I could see no one. I worked down to the lake and saw a dripping cliff face that drew me to it. I spent a good hour and a half collecting along the cliff and found many interesting species.

Isla Gordon, looking down

However, I was puzzled that the map showed three lakes, but I could only see one. So, I climbed another hill to survey the area. From there I could see the drainage of my lake down to the sea, but no other lakes. It turns out that to have seen the other two, larger lakes, I would have needed to climb the rise on the other side of my lake. Oh well! My new found aerie was useful though, because I noticed that far in the distance I could just see the pile of bright orange life jackets we had left on the shore. This made me realize that they were a very long way away, and so I started heading towards them right away, working down the outlet stream from the lake. My progress was slowed by the numerous bryophytic sirens that called me down to the stream. However, I was still the first one back at the meeting point.

Picking up Ernesto and Juan

Once we were all back on board, our captain turned the ship toward tomorrow’s collecting site, Estero Fouque. This long, narrow sound has numerous glaciers along it. Tomorrow we should be collecting immediately adjacent to these glaciers. I doubt anyone will sleep in tomorrow morning!

Bill Buck’s Previous Reports From the Field:

2012

January 19, 2012; Chile, unnamed sound on north-central coast of Isla Hoste, approximately 55º00′S, 69º12′W

January 18, 2012; Canal O’Brien, just south of Isla O’Brien, 54º55′S, 70º35′W

January 17, 2012; Punta Arenas, Chile

2011

July 15, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

July 14, 2011; Pyengana, Tasmania, Australia

July 13, 2011; Weldborough, Tasmania, Australia

July 12, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

July 11, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

February 8, 2011; Punta Arenas, Chile

February 5, 2011, unnamed sound northwest of Isla Georgiana

February 4, 2011, unnamed sound directly east of Seno Mama, Chile

February 2, 2011, Seno Courtenay, northern arm, Chile

February 1, 2011, Seno Courtenay, Chile

January 31, 2011, Canal between Isla Georgiana and Isla Clementina,, Chile

January 30, 2011, Unnamed sound on south side of Brecknock Peninsula, NW of Isla Georgiana, Chile

January 29, 2011, Isla Aguirre, Seno Quo Vadis, Chile

January 26, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

January 24, 2011, Seno Chasco, just north of isthmus to Brecknock Peninsula, Chile

January 23, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Puerto Consuelo, Seno Chasco, Chile

January 22, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile

January 21, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile

January 20, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Bluff, Chile

January 18, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

January 16, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile

Tags: Bill Buck, Bill Buck Cape Horn 2012, Bryophytes, Lichens, Mosses, Science, Science Expeditions, The New York Botanical Garden, Vascular Plants

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Around the Garden.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/around-the-garden/from-the-field-bill-buck-in-cape-horn-day-4/

Related Posts:

• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis

I meandered over to the Ladies’ Border during Wednesday’s weather (an April afternoon straight out of the bizarro dimension) to get a picture of these small but potent blooms. There was a squadron of honey bees taking advantage of the inflorescence while I was there. Hawks called overhead. It was all very picturesque. But airborne raptors and a fairytale setting do not a photo make. Ivo’s skill with a lens does the Amur Adonis proper justice.

Adonis amurensis — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Tags: Adonis Amurensis, Amur Adonis, Ladies’ Border, Morning Eye Candy

This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Around the Garden, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/photography/morning-eye-candy-adonis/

Related Posts:

• Clicks and Whirrs in the Conservatory this Weekend
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis

I meandered over to the Ladies’ Border during Wednesday’s weather (an April afternoon straight out of the bizarro dimension) to get a picture of these small but potent blooms. There was a squadron of honey bees taking advantage of the inflorescence while I was there. Hawks called overhead. It was all very picturesque. But airborne raptors and a fairytale setting do not a photo make. Ivo’s skill with a lens does the Amur Adonis proper justice.

Adonis amurensis — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Tags: Adonis Amurensis, Amur Adonis, Ladies’ Border, Morning Eye Candy

This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Around the Garden, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/photography/morning-eye-candy-adonis/

Related Posts:

• Morning Eye Candy: Small Wonder
• Morning Eye Candy: Three Stooges
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4

For nearly two decades the New England Grows trade show has been among our favorite annual dates on the calendar. For me, it’s where I cut my proverbial teeth in the horticulture industry, first as a landscaper, then as a publisher and television host and in recent years as an activist.

When you’ve been going to the same big party for 20 years you tend to know a lot of people, recognize even more faces and many of those — certainly not all — were smiling my way the past two days in the wake of the perceived “victory” we helped forge against Scotts Miracle Gro. That company, you might have heard, tried to shovel millions of dollars in the direction of the National Wildlife Foundation to whitewash its admission of forged documents among other wrongdoings in federal court.

SafeLawns led the chorus of organizations protesting the National Wildlife Association’s money grab and, as a result, we heard a lot of “Way to go!” comments on the trade show floor in Boston. We also dealt with a few chemical industry supporters saying “You’ve got a lot of nerve to show your face here,” too, but those folks were clearly in the minority.

At one point we engaged in a lengthy conversation with several folks including Steve Castorini, the co-founder of American Beauties native plants. He has his own partnership with the National Wildlife Federation; funds from the sales of his plants are donated in support of the NWF’s Garden for Wildlife Program.

Steve was clearly annoyed. The National Wildlife Association’s self-imposed stain, by association, isn’t good for his stellar brand and it underminds his good intentions.

“The National Wildlife Federation should have known better,” said Nancy Dubrule-Clement, owner of Natureworks Garden Center for the past 29 years.

THE ISSUE OF NON-PROFIT FOUNDATIONS AND TAINTED MONEY has been all over the news lately, constantly raising the question of whether or not it’s OK for organizations like ours and others to accept funds from sources with less than pure intentions.

The National Wildlife Foundation’s ill-fated dalliance with Scotts Miracle Gro isn’t even close to the biggest story of this week. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, the nation’s largest breast cancer fund, is in hot water right now for withdrawing money from Planned Parenthood. Critics say it was a politically charged decision based on the Republican influence of new leadership that doesn’t like Planned Parenthood’s ties to abortion rights.

Just yesterday word came down that the august Sierra Club, perhaps the nation’s most influential environmentally oriented non-profit, had allegedly accepted $30 million from the natural gas industry without most people knowing. The gas industry is embroiled in a nationwide controversy about an insidious practice known as fracking that imperils underground supplies of fresh water. Some suggest that the gas industry “bought” the defacto endorsement of the previous Sierra Club CEO, Carl Pope, who had campaigned openly in favor of natural gas as an alternative to coal.

IN A PROVOCATIVE ARTICLE, the current CEO of the Sierra Club really got to the heart of the issue that all of us face when we’re trying to fulfill our mission of protecting the planet.

“The first rule of advocacy is that you shouldn’t take money from industries and companies you’re trying to change,” said Michael Brune.

That comment flies in the face of remarks by National Wildlife Federation CEO Larry Schweiger last week, who tried to sell the idea that he could help Scotts Miracle Gro “become a better company” — while simultaneously accepting their money.

That, for many of us, just doesn’t pass the sniff test. Or, as my grandfather would often say, “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Put another way: Can anyone really rail against an organization when said organization is, at least indirectly, feeding your family?

It’s not easy, though. For years, my former publishing company People, Places Plants wouldn’t accept advertising dollars from any companies that sold synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and we also eschewed the big box stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s because they were seen to be bad competition for our core customer — the family owned garden center.

Our publication and television show often suffered financially due to the stubborn refusal to change our standards. At SafeLawns, our corporate sponsorships and private membership funds have never quite recovered from the economic crash of 2008; we could do so much more with more money from the chemical companies who, in our view, are trying to “greenwash” their image by an association with us.

In 2010, when the Sierra Club changed CEOs and stopped taking money from the natural gas industry, reports say that many jobs within the organization were lost — thereby potentially diminishing the organization’s ability to do good things. It’s a valid argument, one to which many adhere.

And the money aside, we all need partnerships to get by in this world. In a perfect world all of our friends, family and business associates would share the same ideals and ethics. But we all know about the world’s imperfections.

The Komen for the Cure folks, for example, have been lauded for practically inventing the idea of cause marketing. In their case they allow companies to “wear” the pink ribbon in exchange for a marketing program that leads to a donation back to Komen. In many cases those programs have worked well, helping to fund hundreds of thousands of breast exams annually.

In other cases, Komen’s motives have been brought into question. Allowing KFC to run long with a “Bucket for the Cure” campaign didn’t go over well with the critics who thought fried chicken wasn’t the optimum dietary supplement for heart patients and cancer survivors. They charged KFC with “pinkwashing,” in other words trying to veil its unhealthy food with the Komen association.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ALL ABOUT being able to walk down the aisle of a trade show, a local grocery store and most importantly your family’s dinner table with your head held high. Many times in my life and career that dinner table could have been more amply covered if I had made different decisions in my business affiliations.

We’re not perfect here. Far from it. I know we’ve made questionable decisions, too.

Be we do think the Sierra Club’s Michael Brune has it right. If you’re an activist or non-profit that really wants to make a difference in the world, you need to roll up your sleeves . . . and keep your hands as clean as possible.

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/the-money-trail-its-tough-to-keep-the-path-and-hands-truly-clean/

Related Posts:

• Wordless Wednesday: Hens in the Woods
• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade
• Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams

I have never done a Wordless Wednesday before. (Wait! Am I supposed to credit someone for ‘Wordless Wednesday?’ I don’t want to get in trouble with the garden blog police!) But today, the temps were in the 60s and the hens were in the woods. (Doh!! Words!)

Robin

There are 4 comments

Filed in: Chickens

Tags: Wordless Wednesday

Article source: http://www.bumblebeeblog.com/2012/02/01/wordless-wednesday-hens-in-the-woods/

Related Posts:

• Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts
• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade

Big news out of Canada this morning. The province of Manitoba’s prime minister said he plans to implement a ban of pesticides used for aesthetic purposes on lawns and gardens. That would leave just three provinces without bans. Here’s the story: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cosmetic-pesticides-face-ban-in-province-138465249.html

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/manitoba-set-to-join-canadian-pesticide-parade/

Related Posts:

• Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records
• Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams
• Miracle Gro Deal with Wildlife Federation Outrages Environmental Community

SafeLawns, Surfriders Share Common Goals of a Healthier Planet

The SafeLawns Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation share the common goals of keeping the water clean. (Geoff Glenn photo)

If there’s one truism we’ve found as we begin our seventh year at the SafeLawns Foundation, it’s to expect the unexpected. To that end, last week we enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Surfrider Foundation, a group that initially came together in 1984 to protest threats to their local surf break at Malibu Point in California.

These days the Surfrider Foundation maintains more than 50,000 members, 80 chapters worldwide and, as we discovered, one of the most robust standards for earth friendly gardening of any group on the planet.

Homeowners who pledge to meet the proper criteria are allowed to post this sign in their yards.

“Bad lawn and garden practices are especially bad for the oceans,” said Paul Herzog, the Surfrider Foundation’s national coordinator of the Ocean Friendly Gardens Program. “All of that runoff from chemical fertilizers and pesticides eventually winds up in the ocean somewhere. So anything we can do to work together to minimize the impact of lawns and gardens is good for all of us.”

The Ocean Friendly Gardens program includes an ambitious homeowner criteria (below) that addresses everything from downspouts to drip irrigation.

“An Ocean Friendly Garden is a garden that applies CPR — Conservation, Permeability, and Retention© — to revive the health of our watersheds and oceans,” reads the campaign slogan.

An OFG Sign will be awarded to any garden that achieves the organization’s criteria. And it doesn’t matter if you live in Malibu or somewhere in Michigan, Minnesota or Maine . . . these are all good rules to live by in the landscape:

CONSERVATION
Turf Areas
* Climate-appropriate turf grass is limited to 20% of total square footage of the landscaped area.
* Turf grass is limited to only those areas where it serves a specific purpose (documented play area).
* Turf grass is maintained organically without synthetic fertilizers and never over-watered.
* Turf grass is kept away from the perimeter of the garden, where irrigation overspray is hard to control.
* Cool season turf grass is not in front yard gardens in areas receiving less than an average 44 inches of annual rainfall.
* Warm season turf grass, if present, is not over-seeded with cool season grass during winter months.

Irrigation
* No automatic irrigation is utilized OR: Irrigation system is in good repair (no breaks or leaks) with no visible signs from stains on nearby hard surfaces or erosion on vegetated surfaces from repeated overspray or runoff. (See maintenance details below)
* No spray irrigation of any kind is installed in areas less than 10 feet wide OR a total surface area of less than 100 square feet.
* Drip irrigation is ½ inch diameter tubing or larger — utilizing either line source (”in-line”) OR point source emitters (”on line”).
* No 1/4″ diameter irrigation tubing is present, except where needed for irrigating containers and raised beds. (See maintenance details below)
* Hoses have shut-off attachments.
* A weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC) or “smart” irrigation controller is installed OR
* Absent a WBIC, the irrigation controller has a rain shut-off installed.

Mulch
* A minimum of 2 inches to 4 inches of natural woodchip mulch is present in all planted and open areas.
* 50% or more of the woodchip mulch must be smaller than 1 inch in length or diameter.
* Small open mulch-free areas are permitted if they are designated for native bee or insect habitat.

Plants
* Plants are grouped according to plant community or hydrozones including:
* Similar sunlight exposure, water requirements, root depth, soil type, hardiness and
temperature adaptation, and/or size at maturity.
* New gardens are planted with sufficient space between plants to accommodate mature growth without over-crowding, and to minimize pruning at maturity.
* Plants requiring regular shearing are not permitted, unless they are edible or produce edible fruit.

PERMEABILITY
Healthy Living Soil
* Soil health is maintained organically without chemical additives.
* Soil health is maintained by the addition of compost, compost tea, and worm castings.
* Soil is not visible beneath a mulch layer, EXCEPT
* Areas 4 inches-12 inches around the crown of woody plants should remain un-mulched, and
* Areas 12 inches to 60 inches around the trunks of trees should remain un-mulched.
These un-mulched areas should be minimized, but depends on the size of tree/plant crown.

Our choices in gardening products, as well as how water flows in and around our landscape, can have tremendous impact on the water system at large

Permeable Hardscape
* Walkways and patios are made permeable with
* Plants, mulch or decomposed granite in gaps between pavers or other hard surfaces; OR
* Materials that permit water to “flow-through,” e.g., permeable concrete or asphalt.
* Impermeable surfaces or minimally permeable surfaces, such as permeable pavers or decomposed granite, are graded to direct excess surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas.
* Existing impermeable surfaces such as driveways or large patio areas have been altered to direct surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas or retention/detention devices.
* Plant material is 80% climate-appropriate unless it is edible or produces edible fruit. (Climate-appropriate plant material is defined as plant material with a Species Factor or Crop Co-efficient of 50% or less or is described by reliable local references as a “medium” water-using plant in the particular climate. In California, use www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/docs/ for Species Factors.)
* Local native plant material is utilized for at least 10% of the visible garden area, whether or not the other plant material is edible or produces edible fruit.
* No invasive species are present. Invasive species are defined as those listed on the local Invasive Plant Council website as invasive or on the “watch list”. (General information at: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver, and in California http://www.cal-ipc.org.)

Water Features
* Water features may improve the habitat of the garden and are allowed within these guidelines:
* Water is recycled by the water feature.
* Open water features are covered at least 50% by vegetation,
* All water features are maintained without chemicals or additives that are toxic to fish.
* Overflow from the water feature drains into a vegetated area.
* Swimming pools and chemically treated water bodies are drained to sewer systems.
* Swimming pools must be covered to minimize evaporation when not in use.

RETENTION
Downspout Re-direct
* If gutters are installed, all visible downspouts are directed away from impermeable surfaces into vegetated areas, mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Rain chains and other devices to slow the fall of water are recommended as a replacement for downspouts.
* If gutters are not installed, surfaces beneath the roof eaves are EITHER
* Vegetated with hearty plants that can withstand the beating; OR
* Covered with mulch, gravel or other sturdy and permeable materials, AND
* Hardscape surfaces beneath roof eaves are altered to create areas of permeability and direct surface flow of rainwater into vegetated or mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Drains carrying roof runoff or surface drain runoff from back yards or areas not visible to the street are
EITHER:
* Directed into rainbarrels or cisterns at the downspouts to slow and reduce the flow of water into the drainage system, OR
* Disconnected from their overflow to street and re-directed into a vegetated or mulched area.

Sponge Gardens (Rain Gardens)
* The visible garden area has been designed to capture as much of the rainfall from rooftops and other impermeable surfaces as possible.
* The flat areas on the property have been replaced with high and low contoured areas (”graded retention areas”) to prevent rainfall from “sheeting” across the garden and off the property – helping to retain the first 1″ of rainwater after a dry spell: AND/OR
* A dry creek bed or vegetated swale (”bioswale”) captures the majority of the surface flow of downspout water and water from adjacent hard surfaces, creating sufficient area to slow, spread and sink it.
* Dry creek beds or vegetated swales are designed to hold at least 1″ of rain from roof and adjacent hard surfaces, AND
* Rainfall in excess of 1″ or the water-holding capacity of the garden, whichever is greater, is safely directed off-site after having been run through vegetated areas, including bioswales and creek beds, to remove pollutants and retain sediment.
* At least one tree or very large shrub has been planted at its proper distance from hard surfaces and buildings to help naturally store water for the entire garden.

Retention Devices
Rainbarrels or above-ground cisterns are visible and are:
* Installed properly in accordance with any prevailing local building standards or codes,
* Secured for safety purposes, and
* Overflow into vegetated or mulched areas, AND/OR
* Below surface retention areas and devices such as dry wells or cisterns are utilized to do the same.

Maintenance Details
1. Valve assemblies installed properly in permeable areas (preferably surrounded by mulch or gravel).
2. Irrigation shut-off valves are easily identified.
3. Separate irrigation valves are utilized for each hydrozone (see “hydrozone” description in 4a below).
4. Back-flow prevention and pressure regulation is visible in or at the valve assembly.

Irrigation Details
1. Spray irrigation is matched precipitation, “multi-stream, multi-trajectory.”
2. Spray irrigation requires anti-drain check valves to prevent low head drainage.
3. Spray irrigation heads of any kind are installed at least 24 inches from hard surfaces and buildings.

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/common-ground-the-ocean-lakes-rivers-streams/

Related Posts:

• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade
• Miracle Gro Deal with Wildlife Federation Outrages Environmental Community
• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean