RTÉ – IRELAND’S NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA published this video item, entitled “Nature activist Mary Reynolds on restoring native plant ecosystems | RTÉ” – below is their description.
“Allow messiness in because there’s no life in a tidy space”
Nature activist Mary Reynolds tells Tommy about her belief that we should give half of any land we have and allow the weeds and the native trees and shrubs to come out
See more at: http://www.rte.ie/player
RTÉ – IRELAND’S NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA YouTube Channel
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It has been 6 yrs. since the blowdown of 105 mph. Thousands of trees came down on my 30 acres. I resisted the “clean up” pressured by forestry, loggers, and neighbors. The sadness of all the downed trees turned to amazement with nature’s repair. With more sunlight, dormant wildflowers came to life. Multiple types of goldenrod and asters filled new open areas. Bumblebees thrilled with new opportunities. Although it takes years to grow a tree, downed trees also have added benefits. Broken snags became homes to woodpeckers, squirrels, and owls. Lichens continue to filter air even when a tree is dead. Bear and other mammal dens were created. Pine cones opened and reseeded new trees. Downed trees hold moisture in the ground, provide secure new homes for little critters and provide protection for new tree seedlings. Deer will always take the path of least resistance, so seedlings that have difficult access are allowed to grow. As I observed nearby forests that were “cleaned up”, diversity was gone. The forest floor was scraped up and the monoculture forest of aspens filled in. In the 6 yrs. since the blowdown, the jackpines, white pines, red pines are flourishing at 1-6 ft tall. All ground cover remains of wild ginger, wildflowers, blueberries, and 100’s of other species. Serviceberries, honeysuckles, hazelnuts, raspberries, maples, oaks, and birch remain (many broken, but still survivng). Nature has taught me so much by observation. What others thought was messy, I found was a process that shouldn’t be disturbed. It also encouraged me to create a “no mow zone” area in my yard. Although it didn’t look like much at first, I noticed increased bumblebees, butterflies, dragonflies, rabbits, squirrels and snakes in the new area of longer grasses. Bottom line, nature knows best when given a chance. Messy to humans, is beauty and opportunity for survival in the wildlife world.