[Pollinator] Integrating Pollinator and Human Landscapes

[Hank Jones]

Sam et al, here in Constance Bay Village in Ottawa, Canada, we converted to a pollinator front garden eight years ago. It looks like a wild meadow, with its few fruit trees and shrubs scattered amongst the unruly forbs. It seems wild, wild, wild, except for one small innovation Vera installed: winding annually mown pathways with stepping boards. The regularly-spaced boards are highly visible. Of course, they gradually rot into the ground but these are quickly replaced. Almost no maintenance required. The pathways fit the landscape beautifully. AND, admiring visitors, even young children, traverse the garden via the paths instinctively stepping from board to board. Seems these boards alone meet the site’s total need for neatness, stewardship and naturalness. Everyone is happy :-) 
> On Sep 16, 2016, at 12:27 PM, Droege, Sam <sdroege at usgs.gov> wrote:
> 
> All
> 
> This week I spoke to a group of Landscape Architects.  Good discussions and I pointed out that I thought one of our biggest societal problems was the perceived conflict between creating landscapes friendly to pollinators (and, btw, to all of nature) and the traditionally acceptable tended landscapes that are mowed regularly.
> 
> It turns out that this has been thought of before and likely quite deeply by landscape architects.  Here is a fabulous article from the 90's: 
> 
>  http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/1995/nc_1995_nassauer_001.pdf <http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/1995/nc_1995_nassauer_001.pdf>
> 
> The key point here is that people really don't necessarily NOT want natural landscapes what they want is a landscape that is clearly cared for.  A naturalized landscape is often preferred, but it must be neat and fit into the norms of the culture.  Of great importance is the presences of human structures (sidewalks, fences, houses, buildings etc.) that are clearly demarcated by neatly mown areas, are in good shape and show that the owner of the property takes care of their property and has done all these things on purpose.
> 
> I think it would be very useful to build into the advice we provide about plantings some elements that present shows of care and intention of those environments, else we risk alienating the very audiences we want to convert.  
> 
> I also think it might be useful to have more landscape architects on board with what we do.
> 
> sam
> 
>   From a Country Overlooked
> 
> 
> There are no creatures you cannot love.
> 
> A frog calling at God
> From the moon-filled ditch
> As you stand on the country road in the June night.
> The sound is enough to make the stars weep
> With happiness.
> In the morning the landscape green
> Is lifted off the ground by the scent of grass.
> The day is carried across its hours
> Without any effort by the shining insects
> That are living their secret lives.
> The space between the prairie horizons
> Makes us ache with its beauty.
> Cottonwood leaves click in an ancient tongue
> To the farthest cold dark in the universe.
> The cottonwood also talks to you
> Of breeze and speckled sunlight.
> You are at home in these
> great empty places
> along with red-wing blackbirds and sloughs.
> You are comfortable in this spot
> so full of grace and being
> that it sparkles like jewels
> spilled on water.
> 
> 
>            - Tom Hennen
> 
> -- 
> Bees are Not Optional
> Apes sunt et non liberum
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