Out of Fashion:
Green Lawns
by
Laura Vanderkam
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...there's a growing backlash against suburban seas of green. "The perfect lawn is in peril."...
Big chunks of Canada have banned certain lawn pesticides. In the U.S., municipalities such as Los Angeles and Raleigh, N.C., regulate how many times a week homeowners can turn on the sprinklers.
That said, while rationing water during droughts has merit, I don't think policymakers should start regulating lawns broadly. Deploying inspectors to count the square footage of grass vs. wild plants is a waste of resources when states are cutting teachers and cops.
The best approach is for all of us to start thinking of lawns as a fashion - a fashion like wearing the feathers of rare birds in hats was once a fashion. Fashions can change when enough people decide they are ridiculous or wasteful. Few parents would light a cigarette at a playground anymore, even if it's not illegal, and we should start treating the presence of a vast, green, cropped grass lawn in the middle of summer the same way: as a weird and antisocial thing.
From "Out of fashion: Green lawns" USA Today, August 16, 2010
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Robert Michael Pyle comes to Syracuse!
Robert Pyle is our nation's premier butterfly expert, as well as a scientist, writer, and open-space advocate. He will present the program "Eden in a Vacant Lot" on Thurs. Oct 7 at 5:30 pm at the Palace Theater in Eastwood. He'll also be leading butterfly hikes at Baltimore Woods on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8. Don't miss this opportunity! For more information, contact Baltimore Woods. |
Rain Barrel Workshops
Register by Sept. 8!
| Workshops will be held in a variety of places around the county,
including Syracuse, Fayetteville, Cicero, Liverpool and East Syracuse on
September 25-26, 2010.
To see the schedule or register, visit the Cooperative Extension website or call 424-9485 ext 231.
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Greetings!
We have two important events this month: our annual plant sale, marking the end of our summer programs, and second, our first presentation of our 2010-2011 program year.
ANNUAL PLANT SALE
Our annual plant sale will be Sat. Sept. 18. Please donate some native plants for us to sell.
Details below.
Onondaga Lake (EPA photo)  | SEPTEMBER 26 PROGRAM
We're pleased to begin our new program year with a presentation on Wetland and Shoreline Restoration Efforts by Joseph M. McMullen of Terrestrial Environmental Specialists, Inc. He'll discuss the planning, including the selection of native species for planting, and results of the successfully completed wetland restoration effort at the LCP site, as well as future plans for restoration along the Onondaga Lake shoreline and Geddes Brook/Ninemile Creek areas. Input from the group on these proposed plans is welcome.
We meet at the Le Moyne College Library (directions) on September 26 at 2:00 pm. Please join us and bring a friend. Our meetings are free and open to the public!
Additional presentations
I'll be giving three presentations at OASIS, the senior (50+ yrs.) learning center:
Wed. Sept. 15 at 1:00 pm - Habitat Gardening for Life
Wed. Sept. 22 at 1:00 pm - Greening Your Yard
Wed. Sept. 29 at 1:00 pm - Gardeners and Global Warming
Register with OASIS for these presentations.
Janet Allen, President
Habitat Gardening in Central New York
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HGCNY plant sale Sat. Sept 18
Berries from gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)  | Native ( and native only, please!) plant donations are welcome. Please label (and botanical names are useful if you know them). If you've been hankering to buy a particular plant, let John know. Maybe one of our suppliers can provide it. (If you have trouble with that email address, try hg.cny@verizon.net.) When and where: The basic plant sale is on Sat., Sept. 18th. If you're bringing plants to donate, please come at 9:00 am, and you can start shopping. For all others, the plant sale is from 10:00 to 12:00 at 401 Parsons Drive ( directions). Plants not sold on Saturday will be available at the Baltimore Woods plant sale and tour at Sycamore Hills, 2130 Old Seneca Turnpike, Marcellus, on Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. ( For more information...) Plants at the sale: We'll be selling plants from three of our sponsors, in addition to what people contribute from their own gardens. Plants you can order: You can also order shrubs and trees at the sale from Jim Engel's White Oak Nursery. Here's the list of plants you can order. They'll be delivered the following week. If you aren't attending the sale, you can email your order to John (or HGCNY) and send a check to HGCNY at 401 Parsons Drive, Syracuse, NY. Earn a donation to HGCNY: Two of our vendors have offered to donate to HGCNY if you purchase plants from their locations. For either vendor please make sure you mention that you are from Habitat Gardening in CNY and understand that a donation will be made to the organization.* Maple Hills Nursery (Larry Keassa) located on the corner of Pompey Center Rd and Indian Hills Rd in the town of Manlius. His offer runs the entire month of September. * Pippi's Perennials (Vicky Hilleges), located at 12 Sherry Lane, Kirkville, NY. Her offer runs from September 18th to the end of the month. |
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Monarchs heading to Mexico
All tagged and ready to go  | The monarchs have begun their long journey. They'll leave the CNY area in mid- September, but they're already on the move in other locations.
The Journey North website lets you follow their journey. You can see the overnight roosting areas for any week you choose, or you can watch an animated map by clicking the "Animated Map" link at the bottom. You can also compare this year's fall migration with previous years by clicking on the "Map Archive" link at the bottom.
What will they find when they reach their destination in Mexico? Follow the weekly monarch news updated throughout the year, including postings from leading monarch scientists. There's also an excellent FAQ section, where scientists answer almost any question you might have about monarchs!
Sadly, monarchs are in trouble, due to lack of milkweed in their breeding grounds, pesticides, and deforestation in Mexico. We can plant milkweed here and stop using pesticides, but we can also help them in their winter home by donating to the Monarch Butterfly Fund. This fund was created by people who have dedicated their lives to monarch research and conservation.
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The amazing squirrel Squirrel eating a pumpkin from the inside out  |
A recent NY Times article notes that
"... behind the squirrel's success lies a phenomenal elasticity of body, brain and behavior."
For example,
* Squirrels can leap 10 times the length of their body, twice as far as the best human long jumper.
* They can rotate their ankles 180 degrees to keep a grip no matter which way they're climbing.
* They can learn by watching others.
* They're similar to primates in their visual acuity, manipulation of objects, sociability, chattiness and willingness to deceive.
* Their peripheral vision is so sharp they can see what's above and beside them without moving their head.
* They often dig up and rebury the nuts they've cached in order to deter theft.
Read the whole NY Times article...
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