Earth Month
The 50th
anniversary of Earth Day and Arbor Day are in April, which gives us two very
special days to focus on our environment. But first, before we talk about Earth
Day, let’s look at a hands-on practical way to celebrate…by doing an Earth Day
project.
Have you ever
considered whether your yard has a positive or negative effect on the
environment? Today, all across America we are moving back toward a greener
country, but in our yard’s landscaping, we are ignoring the basic essentials to
make that space compatible with our natural surroundings. When we remove
honeysuckle and blackberry vines that look unkempt and snaky, we remove the
animals that depend on the berries for food and the birds and small mammals
that hide in the brambles.
Worldwide, our
songbird population is plummeting, and we are seeing plant and animal
extinction at a rate only surpassed by the great dinosaur extinction. There are
many reasons for this alarming decline in species, but one of the prime causes
is loss of habitat due to urban development. We must reverse this trend, and I
believe we can by some simple habitat management, and by agreeing to share our
yard with wildlife. If you will share some of your yard, by restoring the
natural habitat it once had, you can help solve the problem.
Here are a few
ideas that will let you convert a small piece of your sterile, green yard into
an attractive, wildlife compatible yard.
The most
critical part of your yard is the backyard. Think of the back 20 feet as your habitat
contribution. This area will give birds
and small animals shelter and food as they enter your yard. Just consider the habitat benefits if your 20
foot wildlife corridor were connected to your neighbor’s backyard to form a 40
foot corridor, which connected to your adjacent neighbor’s yard. That should be
our goal: to give small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects access to food
and safety. However, you must give Mother Nature a hand. First, you should plant a grove of nut or
berry producing trees along the very back edge of the lot. Then edge the grove with berry bushes of
varying heights and species. Mow and
weed this area very lightly. In fact,
your goal should be to allow this area to slowly return to its natural
state.
Next, along the
sides of your lot, continue with more hedgerow type plants, along with berry
bushes. In the adjacent open areas,
allow native grasses and wildflowers to reclaim a portion of the area. In order to achieve the proper balance, you
must plant the wildflowers and native grasses.
Finally, in a back corner of your yard, create a small pond. When you build your pond, set it in a natural
drainage area, possibly one that would receive runoff from your roof. When building your pond, don't be concerned
about the size. A 6 foot by 10 foot pond
is adequate. The pond depth should be
around 3 feet in its deepest part and feather out to 2 inches to 6 inches in
depth on one end. I recommend a thin layer
of cement to slow seepage. After construction, add 4 inches of dirt and rocks
to cover the concrete. Your construction should allow a natural drainage spill
point to carry excess water into the wooded back portion of your lot. Stock your pond with minnows (for mosquito
control) and Mother Natural will do the rest.
Finally, leave a
mowed strip along your front sidewalk to keep your neighbors happy.
Your new yard
now has the three criterion that makes for small wildlife habitat: woodland,
wetland, and grassland. Wouldn’t that be a great way to celebrate Earth Day?
&
Now let’s talk about Earth Day.
On April 22nd
we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Fifty years ago
an estimated twenty-two million Americans turned out to show their
determination to save our planet. The air, water, and land pollution present in
1970s was so horrible that the Earth Day marches kicked off a wave of reform,
which produced huge, positive strides to reverse the pollution of our planet. When
we compare our environment today with the 1970s, we can easily see how much
pollution was reduced. This massive outpouring of people created an awareness
of how we needed trougher regulations, and how each individual could help to
reduce the pollution of the planet.
During the 60s
and 70s New York City had smoggy days that resemble what major cities in China
and India have today. The water in New York City’s East River was so polluted
that it created a lifeless pool of stagnant water, which actually smelled, and
in Chicago a river caught on fire. Our leaders, who crafted the laws that
resulted from that first Earth Day March, received a wakeup call from the vast
numbers who marched. Congress passed the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act,
and our air and water has improved dramatically since then.
Yes, those who marched
in the streets to support the first Earth Day made a huge difference. However,
as much as we have gained over those 50 years, a great deal of it will be lost
if we don’t demand our existing regulations be enforced and more stringent ones
passed. Today is not the time to sit back and say, “Job well done.” We have
just began to correct the environmental disasters that were created over the
past 100 years. If we will once again attack the attitudes that created the
degraded environment of the 70s, we can build on what was started fifty years
ago.
Although we have come a long way from the
polluted 70s, we haven’t finished the job.
Today we are faced with new challenges such as Global Warming and the
continuing extinction of thousands of species. We should celebrate our success
with the realization that, while many of the problems of the past are history,
others have reared their ugly heads, and if we don’t confront them, our
children and grandchildren will live in a degraded world. The challenge is to
once again support Earth Day, and make our voices heard.
This 50th
Year Anniversary of Earth Day is a perfect time to renew our goal, which is,
very simply, to restore our damaged planet. We must gear up to bring a
worldwide message that the Earth is in danger, and we want to be a part of the
people who are determined to save it. Yes, we can make a difference just as
those millions who marched that first Earth Day did, and we can use our
influence to encourage others to be involved. We can’t march this year, but let’s
make our voices heard again. I would like to see us flood this paper with Earth
Day Letters to the Editor. I’ll ask the editor in charge of that section to
print every letter on Earth Day. Wouldn’t it be great if Earth Day letters took
up a whole page of the paper?
Send your
Letters www.arkansasonline.com/contact/voices-form/ and join the “letter march” to show you care.
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