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News & Notes
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Hewson Landscape, Inc.
November 2015
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 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Now is the time to double check that you are prepared for winter. Irrigation systems and hose bibs should be blown out and winterized. Chimneys should be swept prior to any fires and have your wood stacked outside close by for easy access. Outside patio plants should be brought indoors, and the planters stored away to avoid freezing. Prepare for storm outages-keep some extra batteries in the house for lanterns/flash lights, and radios in case of power failures. Candles, canned food items, along with water are also good to have on hand. We are still approaching the finish line to get all work completed before the end of the year. Have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
All the best,
Shelly Hewson
President, Hewson Landscape Inc.
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The Seed Vault
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The seed vault represents the world's largest collection of diverse crop seeds. It is a "fail-safe" seed storage built to stand time, and the challenges of natural or man-made disasters. It is located deep in a mountain on an island that is halfway between Norway and the North Pole. The area is geologically stable and humidity levels are low. It affords a location that is accessible, and it is the farthest north you can fly on a schedule flight. It is also well above sea level so it is protected from flooding.
The Global seed vault was built to serve as a backup to the other genebanks around the world who are more vulnerable to natural disasters and avoidable disasters such as lack of funding to keep the genebanks in business. Losing any crop variety is irreversible. So the Global Seed Vault houses duplicate seeds from the world's crop collections. The location with the permafrost and thick rock walls, guarantees that the seed samples will remain frozen, even thru a power outage. A temperature of -18°C is required for optimal storage. It is protection for the world's food supply, so future generations can still produce any crop variety needed, and secure the future of all the important crop varieties in the world today.
Currently the vault holds over 800,000 samples from almost every country in the world. It can store 4.5 million varieties; each variety contains approximately 500 seeds, so a maximum of 2.5 billion seeds can be safely stored, but also avoiding unnecessary duplication of any variety. This will take years to accumulate all the varieties as some of the genebanks need to multiply their stocks and some need to regenerate their seeds before they can be shipped to the vault for storage. The seeds are sealed in foil packages; the packages are then sealed inside boxes and stored on shelves. The low temperature and moisture levels "ensure low metabolic activity" which allows the seeds to be viable for long periods of time. Countries can only deposit seeds that have originated from their own country.
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 How to Boost Morale with Plants In the past, companies have felt a few plants around the office would help to soften the hard surfaces of an office environment. Studies today show how plants can decrease stress, enhance the air quality inside and even increase productivity. So companies are now turning to "Biophilic Designs" for their offices. Biophilic Design is a new concept that links the gap between natural environments and man-made environments. Some companies go as far as building green walls and interior waterfalls to help boost employee well-being.
It's only in the last 250 years (since the dawn of the industrial revolution) that there has been a major transformative change towards urban living and increased separation from the natural world. Before this change, our lives and homes were intertwined with our natural surroundings.
Today, while homeowners improve the outside of their homes to increase their curb appeal, businesses are improving the inside of their work environments with landscaping to give their employees a better, healthier working environment. Studies have shown that our ability to directly access nature can alleviate feelings of stress, promote recovery from mental fatigue, and enable better focus, mental stamina, and productivity.
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Current jobs we are working on this month:
Tsang Residence-Sewer Line installation
Water Co.-lawn restoration for a new well installed
Tough Mudders-Event set up by hauling in hay and mulch
Gas Company-Right of way mowing and trimming
State Park-mowing nature preserve
Solar field mowing-last time for the season
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Pipeline Safety
Pipelines are said to be the safest and most efficient means of transportation for natural gas and petroleum products, according to National Transportation Safety Board statistics. There are hundreds of thousands of miles of pipeline across the country.
How do you identify a pipeline? Pipeline markers are the most common and will be visible where the pipeline intersects with a street, highway or railway. They identify the approximate location but not the depth. That is why it is important to "call before you dig". Calling 811 will give you the information you need before you dig. The marker also contains information identifying the company that operates the pipeline, the product being transported and a phone number to call in case of an emergency. There is a uniform color coding, but this does not preempt any existing state requirements.
White ........Proposed Excavation
Pink ........Temporary Survey Markings
Red ........Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables
Yellow ........Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum or Gaseous Materials
Orange ........Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit
Blue ........Potable Water
Purple ........Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines
Green ........Sewers and Drain Lines
How to recognize a leaking pipeline? There are 3 indicators for a leaking pipeline. One is sight, pools of liquid, continuous bubbling in wet or flooded areas, oily sheen on water surfaces, vaporous fog or blowing dirt, dead or discolored plants near a healthy area, flames (if leak is ignited). The second is sound; you may hear a quiet hissing or a loud roar depending on the size of the leak. The third is smell, any unusual smell or gaseous odor. Natural gas is odorless unless an odorant like "Mercaptan" is added making it easier to know if there is a leak.
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 Thanksgiving Fun Facts
The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage,carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.
The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.
In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.
Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.
Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clucking noise.
Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
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Stay Connected
 
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Office 908-222-3616
Fax 908-222-3617
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