Subject: [Tweeters] Please protest loss of bird habitat at Discovery Park
Date: May 19 13:59:09 2011
From: helen.gilbert at juno.com - helen.gilbert at juno.com


Hi Tweeters,

Given the two postings today of wonderful bird sightings at Discovery
Park, we thought you'd want to know and possibly write to the city about
the recent destructive mowing of a large meadow in the park just at the
height of the nesting season. This violates a longstanding park policy
and was done without consultation with the onsite naturalists. Below is a
letter we've sent to people with authority for parks. Feel free to send
your own.

Helen Gilbert & Henry Noble
Seattle

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To: Acting Parks Director Christopher.Williams at seattle.gov, City
Councilwoman sally.bagshaw at seattle.gov
Cc: Sandra.DeMeritt at seattle.gov, Cheryl.Fraser at seattle.gov,
FriendsDiscoveryPark at gmail.com

Subject: Destruction of bird habitat at Discovery Park

We are longtime volunteers at Discovery Park. In fact, we credit the
park's nature programs and the encouragement of its talented naturalists
for having turned us into avid birders. We now give back as best we can
by participating in the monthly bird census at Discovery Park and helping
to lead some of the migratory bird walks each spring and fall.

Last weekend, we led a group of new birders on one of the park's
International Migratory Bird Day walks. After extolling the park's unique
importance as a natural habitat in the midst of the city, we were shocked
to emerge from a forest path to encounter a large meadow area in the
center of the park that had been recently mowed. Perhaps this doesn't
sound like a big problem, but it is. We are now in the midst of the
breeding season and large numbers of birds use the grasslands for their
nests. Mowing this large area will have killed unknown numbers of birds
and other creatures and will deprive late breeders of nest sites and
habitat for months. In addition, the reckless decision to mow the meadow
destroyed hundreds of trees that had been donated and planted by
volunteers two years ago.

Discovery Park is a jewel that needs to be managed with educated and
informed care to encourage the wildlife and natural habitat. It is not a
golf course or a playground. Park facilities managers need to work with
the naturalists on staff to determine appropriate maintenance and
problem-solving measures. Otherwise the purpose and goals of the park are
undermined--with potentially devastating consequences for years to come.

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