Subject: Re: Suburban fledglings
Date: Jul 03 09:23:43 1996
From: Peggi Rodgers - peggir at aragorn.ori.org


At 11:43 AM 7/2/96 -0700, David wrote:
>Like Dennis (and Allyn as well, I believe) I am cynical enough to
>believe that packing our yards with native plants is not going to
>transform them them into microcosms of healthy Puget Sound lowland......(snip)

>
>But I am also starry-eyed enough (and evidently Dennis is, too) to
>believe that it is worth trying to overcome these obstacles,.....


Although we live in the country, our 2 acres is located amongst "they of
many lawns" and we are, truly, the last bastion of natural habitat left
(mostly due to the fact it was the last developed parcel and we hate yard
work!). All modesty aside (grin) I think our place is lovely, tons of
wildflowers all year and a diverse habitat - all we do is water occasionally.

Anyway, I'm pleased to say that, between info from the Army Corps ranger and
the Nature Conservancy botanist, we've been able to ascertain which plants
are native and which are not. But it is like fighting an uphill battle.
The neighbors hate the fact that we don't mow down every blade of grass and
trim the limbs on every tree for that ever desirable "parklike" setting
(pretty but not overly attractive to wildlife).

So far, the area around our house has attracted several garter snakes, a
pair of gopher snakes (new arrivals this year), barn swallows, tree
swallows, violet green swallows, a ton of marsh birds, a hen pheasant and
her chicks, lots of song birds & hummers, frogs and amphibians.

It really pays to keep things natural!

Peggi




Peggi Rodgers
Oregon Research Institute
Eugene, OR
peggir at ori.org
prodgers at efn.org
"A bird does not sing because it has an
answer, It sings because it has a song"