Aubrey’s View

Sarah, thanks for your reply.
Removing Japanese honeysuckle is desirable. Your goal in general may be sound. However, this isn’t a good time of year for the process and the wind break provided by thick vegetation along the stream will be missed by park walkers come fall.

The huge privet and China honeysuckle plants provide excellent nesting sites for song birds and, when the cold fronts bring rain and wind and finally snow in winter, the China honeysuckle berries provide for the cardinals, sparrows, cedar waxwings and even the robins, who become berry-eaters the moment the snow covers the ground. Even privet berries are utilized in winter.

Where they are allowed to grow to seven feet and taller, both privet and China honeysuckle bushes provide excellent nesting sites. In fact, removing such plants this time of year means destroying a lot of nests still in use! Doves, bluejays, mockingbirds, catbirds and others will lose a year of reproduction if such plants are destroyed now. Wildlife will seek other habitat, but overall numbers will decline because of the inherent limits on carrying capacity of the habitat.
Encouraging people to provide feeders in their yards is important but encouraging people to provide nesting, feeding and roosting habitat in their yards is much more significant.

A long-term goal of replacing the nonnative and especially the invasives in our stream corridors is desirable. But the habitat cannot be replaced instantly. Therefore, a gradual change to native plants is best for birds and other creatures that depend on forests and prairies and particularly the riparian zones of streams.

Allowing sunshine to hit the ground will encourage poison ivy and Japanese honeysuckle to grow faster than anything else. Poison ivy is a useful native plant to many species of birds but not good for those of us who love to walk into the wildest places.

The first thing should be studying what native species can effectively replace the invasive nonnatives. Buck brush and button bushes might gradually replace some and provide nesting. Many understory trees can work. But the lack of habitat during the transition should be the factor dictating the speed of change. I applaud encouraging Rose of Sharon (a nonnative but not all that invasive and certainly the bush with the longest season of blooming) and serviceberry (a highly valued native).

Why remove Virginia creeper? It doesn’t quickly kill host trees the way Japanese honeysuckle does.
Why remove a dead tree? These too are valuable to wildlife.

If you can’t replace it immediately, don’t cut it!

Please see http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/

for a recent example of baby robins enjoying the shelter of a nest only 8 feet off the ground in a large China honeysuckle tree.

While many birds have nested successfully, others are still working on nests and some are preparing for a second round.

Sincerely,
Aubrey Shepherd
http://www.aubunique.com

>From: “Sarah Patterson”
>To: “Aubrey Shepherd” ,
>CC: “Jeremy Pate”
>Subject: Re: wilson park
>Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 08:14:30 -0500
>
>This is a giant misunderstanding. I met with several homeowners minutes
>after this ‘alert’ email was sent and explained we are only removing the
>invasive privet and honeysuckle. Clearcutting by no means describes
>what we are attempting. Below is the email I sent to the homeowner to
>circulate and also an email she has sent on her own accord after meeting
>with me. Let me know if you have questions and please feel free to
>circulate these responses to all concerned.
>
>Sarah
>________________________________________________________________________________________________
>
>To Whom it Concerns:
>
>Recently the Parks and Recreation Division has been working to remove
>the invasive plant species along Scull Creek in Wilson Park. This
>removal involves crews, by hand, cutting and removing Virginia creeper
>from the trees, privet and honeysuckle from the bank. This is very
>delicate work as we do not want to harm the banks. Removal involves
>cutting the plants back to ground level to ensure the root system is
>still intact for as much stabilization as possible. NO trees will be
>removed in the process unless we find something dead and standing. The
>removal of invasives is very beneficial to our natives that are
>attempting to grow along the bank. Rose of Sharron, serviceberry, tree
>saplings, and others are being left in an effort to encourage a positive
>development of understory. The City has a responsibility to ensure the
>safety of our citizens when they are enjoying the park system. The areas
>of intensive cleaning are those along the western portion near the trail
>and playground equipment. This is to allow visibility down into the
>creek and around blind curves/corner’s for our park patrol and visiting
>citizens.
>
>I will be more than happy to discus and/or meet anyone with further
>concerns on-site to explain exactly the goal of the project.
>
>Regards,
>
>Sarah Patterson
>————————————————————————————————————————————————————
>Here is the follow-up to my alert about Wilson Park with Sarah
>Patterson’s (Parks and Recreation) response (below) to calls she has
>been receiving. Thanks to all of you who called. If any of you
>forwarded my alert to others, please do forward this follow-up to them
>as well.
>
>I met with Sarah Patterson, Urban Forestry, at the site this morning to
>discuss the issue with two other neighborhood individuals after I sent
>the email alert. Sarah and her work crew promised not to completely
>clear the copse as they did on the west end of the park. I think what
>my alert did accomplish was to let the Park and Rec. office know that
>plenty of citizens want to keep the park natural.
>
>I have to say while safety is an issue and a hot button issue, other
>measures addressing safety should be researched and considered that
>would not harm the remaining natural habitat. The fact is those bushes
>(copse) do provide food (berries) and shelter for a thriving bird
>population in the park. And what is good for the wildlife habitat is
>good for the human habitat….
>
>The P & R is to be congratulated for a variety of new trees which have
>been planted in the park recently and I hope they will continue to hear
>other voices in favor of keeping Wilson Park natural.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Lou Ann
>
>
>
> >>> “Aubrey Shepherd” 5/24/2007 1:29 AM
> >>>
>Dot,
>I had a big argument with the former mayor about this in the early 90s.
>Fred
>said people were afraid of snakes and poison ivy and I pointed out that
>
>poison ivy was the first thing to grow and take over after the brush
>was cut
>and the sun hit the ground. And a professor at the UA in the early 90s
>did a
>major study of song-bird nesting in the riparian area of Scull Creek in
>
>Wilson Park. I talked to the man several times. And he made a powerful
>case
>for the importance of the understory vegetation along that creek and
>everywhere! For the city to destroy vegetation of any kind in a park is
>
>unthinkable. It was bad enough that they would mow the grass even when
>it
>was too dry to grow in summer.
>We have to get past letting poorly informed people dictate policy of
>this
>magnitude. And the few snakes that survive in Wilson Park are rarely
>seen
>and no one has reported being bitten and no poisonous snakes have been
>
>spotted chasing anyone up the hill.
>In contrast, we need to push for planting native species of plants in
>the
>parks and allowing them to provide wildlife habitat. Existing plants,
>of
>course, should be grandfathered in. Our parks already are the subject
>of too
>much put-and-take planting that costs a fortune and benefits the earth
>less
>than native species that require zero maintenance.
>With Fayetteville’s current effort for sustainability and to reduce
>global
>warming, cutting out understory vegetation clearly cannot be a part of
>city
>policy.
>
>Aubrey
>
>
> >From: “Dorothy G. Neely”
> >Subject: Fwd: [ keep wilson park natural act now]
> >Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 22:19:54 -0500
> >
> >
> >Notice from “Brad Volz” (original message forwarded below “Notice”)
> >
> >KEEP WILSON PARK NATURAL
> >[please forward to other interested Fayetteville
> >citizens]
> >
> >For those of you who are mindful of our interbeing
> >with nature, please consider calling the Park and
> >Recreation office immediately to ask that the copse
> >along Scull Creek (below Louise Street) not be clear
> >cut. They are beginning to clear cut as I write
> >this! Call Urban Forestry 444.3470.
> >
> >The copse could use some thinning but to clear cut
> >the copse would mean a loss of shelter and food for
> >the birds (those bushes produce berries) as well as
> >a loss of plant life that keeps the soil from
> >eroding along the creek banks and keeps the
> >temperature moderate. For park visitors, this means
> >a loss of a natural visual screen between them and
> >the garish tennis courts.
> >
> >Some Fayetteville community members have been
> >calling the park office wanting the copse clear cut,
> >not realizing the impact on the park as a natural
> >habitat…and Wilson Park is one of the few parks
> >which has not been completely urbanized. While
> >complaints about snakes have been lodged, this is
> >unfortunate because hawks have been nesting in the
> >park for years and snakes are part of their diet.
> >(I have seen a hawk flying away with a snake
> >dangling in its talons.)
> >
> >I was told by the P & R office that they are very
> >much interested in keeping the park natural but
> >citizens having been calling wanting the copse clear
> >cut. I was hoping we could add a countervailing
> >voice.
> >
>
>
>
> >From: Edward Downie
> >Reply-To: edownie@mc2k.com
> >To: Dorothy@arkansas.net, G.Neely@arkansas.net, ”
>joyhale43@sbcglobal.net”
> >
> >CC: edownie@mc2k.com
> >Subject: [Fwd: keep wilson park natural act now]
> >Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 13:39:23 -0500 (CDT)
> >Hi Dot, Joyce,
> >
> >Have you heard anything about this?
> >
> > -Ned
> >
> >—————————- Original Message
>—————————-
> >Subject: keep wilson park natural act now
> >From: “Brad Volz”
> >Date: Wed, May 23, 2007 10:54 am
> >To: “Brad Volz”
> >————————————————————————–
> >
> > >
> > > KEEP WILSON PARK NATURAL
> > > [please forward to other interested Fayetteville
> > > citizens]
> > >
> > >
> > > For those of you who are mindful of our interbeing
> > > with nature, please consider calling the Park and
> > > Recreation office immediately to ask that the copse
> > > along Scull Creek (below Louise Street) not be clear
> > > cut. They are beginning to clear cut as I write
> > > this! Call Urban Forestry 444.3470.
> > >
> > > The copse could use some thinning but to clear cut
> > > the copse would mean a loss of shelter and food for
> > > the birds (those bushes produce berries) as well as
> > > a loss of plant life that keeps the soil from
> > > eroding along the creek banks and keeps the
> > > temperature moderate. For park visitors, this means
> > > a loss of a natural visual screen between them and
> > > the garish tennis courts.
> > >
> > > Some Fayetteville community members have been
> > > calling the park office wanting the copse clear cut,
> > > not realizing the impact on the park as a natural
> > > habitat…and Wilson Park is one of the few parks
> > > which has not been completely urbanized. While
> > > complaints about snakes have been lodged, this is
> > > unfortunate because hawks have been nesting in the
> > > park for years and snakes are part of their diet.
> > > (I have seen a hawk flying away with a snake
> > > dangling in its talons.)
> > >
> > > I was told by the P & R office that they are very
> > > much interested in keeping the park natural but
> > > citizens having been calling wanting the copse clear
> > > cut. I was hoping we could add a countervailing
> >voice.
> >
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Catch suspicious messages before you open them—with Windows Live
>Hotmail.
>http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_protection_0507
>
>

Dot,
I had a big argument with the former mayor about this in the early 90s. Fred said people were afraid of snakes and poison ivy and I pointed out that poison ivy was the first thing to grow and take over after the brush was cut and the sun hit the ground. And a professor at the UA in the early 90s did a major study of song-bird nesting in the riparian area of Scull Creek in Wilson Park. I talked to the man several times. And he made a powerful case for the importance of the understory vegetation along that creek and everywhere! For the city to destroy vegetation of any kind in a park is unthinkable. It was bad enough that they would mow the grass even when it was too dry to grow in summer.
We have to get past letting poorly informed people dictate policy of this magnitude. And the few snakes that survive in Wilson Park are rarely seen and no one has reported being bitten and no poisonous snakes have been spotted chasing anyone up the hill.
In contrast, we need to push for planting native species of plants in the parks and allowing them to provide wildlife habitat. Existing plants, of course, should be grandfathered in. Our parks already are the subject of too much put-and-take planting that costs a fortune and benefits the earth less than native species that require zero maintenance.
With Fayetteville’s current effort for sustainability and to reduce global warming, cutting out understory vegetation clearly cannot be a part of city policy.

Aubrey

>From: “Dorothy G. Neely”
>Subject: Fwd: [ keep wilson park natural act now]
>Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 22:19:54 -0500
>
>
>Notice from “Brad Volz” (original message forwarded below “Notice”)
>
>KEEP WILSON PARK NATURAL
>[please forward to other interested Fayetteville
>citizens]
>
>For those of you who are mindful of our interbeing
>with nature, please consider calling the Park and
>Recreation office immediately to ask that the copse
>along Scull Creek (below Louise Street) not be clear
>cut. They are beginning to clear cut as I write
>this! Call Urban Forestry 444.3470.
>
>The copse could use some thinning but to clear cut
>the copse would mean a loss of shelter and food for
>the birds (those bushes produce berries) as well as
>a loss of plant life that keeps the soil from
>eroding along the creek banks and keeps the
>temperature moderate. For park visitors, this means
>a loss of a natural visual screen between them and
>the garish tennis courts.
>
>Some Fayetteville community members have been
>calling the park office wanting the copse clear cut,
>not realizing the impact on the park as a natural
>habitat…and Wilson Park is one of the few parks
>which has not been completely urbanized. While
>complaints about snakes have been lodged, this is
>unfortunate because hawks have been nesting in the
>park for years and snakes are part of their diet.
>(I have seen a hawk flying away with a snake
>dangling in its talons.)
>
>I was told by the P & R office that they are very
>much interested in keeping the park natural but
>citizens having been calling wanting the copse clear
>cut. I was hoping we could add a countervailing
>voice.
>

>From: Edward Downie
>Reply-To: edownie@mc2k.com
>To: Dorothy@arkansas.net, G.Neely@arkansas.net, ” joyhale43@sbcglobal.net”
>CC: edownie@mc2k.com
>Subject: [Fwd: keep wilson park natural act now]
>Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 13:39:23 -0500 (CDT)
>Hi Dot, Joyce,
>
>Have you heard anything about this?
>
> -Ned
>
>—————————- Original Message —————————-
>Subject: keep wilson park natural act now
>From: “Brad Volz”
>Date: Wed, May 23, 2007 10:54 am
>To: “Brad Volz”
>————————————————————————–
>
> >
> > KEEP WILSON PARK NATURAL
> > [please forward to other interested Fayetteville
> > citizens]
> >
> >
> > For those of you who are mindful of our interbeing
> > with nature, please consider calling the Park and
> > Recreation office immediately to ask that the copse
> > along Scull Creek (below Louise Street) not be clear
> > cut. They are beginning to clear cut as I write
> > this! Call Urban Forestry 444.3470.
> >
> > The copse could use some thinning but to clear cut
> > the copse would mean a loss of shelter and food for
> > the birds (those bushes produce berries) as well as
> > a loss of plant life that keeps the soil from
> > eroding along the creek banks and keeps the
> > temperature moderate. For park visitors, this means
> > a loss of a natural visual screen between them and
> > the garish tennis courts.
> >
> > Some Fayetteville community members have been
> > calling the park office wanting the copse clear cut,
> > not realizing the impact on the park as a natural
> > habitat…and Wilson Park is one of the few parks
> > which has not been completely urbanized. While
> > complaints about snakes have been lodged, this is
> > unfortunate because hawks have been nesting in the
> > park for years and snakes are part of their diet.
> > (I have seen a hawk flying away with a snake
> > dangling in its talons.)
> >
> > I was told by the P & R office that they are very
> > much interested in keeping the park natural but
> > citizens having been calling wanting the copse clear
> > cut. I was hoping we could add a countervailing
>voice.