Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 05/07/2012

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Carrol Henderson, in Landscaping for Wildlife, describes an involved method of creating reptile hibernacula. Perhaps Prairie Resto or Landscape Alternatives could come up with a simpler structure that could be incorporated into their repertoire. They could also collaborate with Dr. Oberhauser to develop seed / plant mixes specifically designed around the needs of the monarch. Habitat selection could make it easier for landowners to visualize favorable alternatives to turf or to the painful emptiness of a lost woods. 6) Encourage a greater appreciation of and access to nature by the younger generation, which is now seeing more and more restricted access. 7) Encourage power companies and their regulatory agency to be more flexible when high -value woodlands are encountered. Landowner Involvement Most of the landowners will lose only a small number of trees. The rest of their land will contain turf grass or pasture grass (for developments in farmland). Landowners will probably be most amenable to converting pasture grasses. However, people with large 1 -acre+ yards may be interested in converting significant portions of their turf grass to prairie. Even small yards would benefit from a 3x3 foot patch of butterfly garden. The inducements to landowners would include at least: 1) Minimal maintenance: perhaps a spring or fall mowing. Burning is a possibility but is more difficult. 2) A constantly changing patch of ground or even a vista dotted by native flowers and grasses and visited by a wide variety of wildlife including butterflies, mammals, birds and singing insects. 3) A place for children to personally experience a bit of nature right outside their door. 4) A sense of participation or ownership in the effort to support species of interest, such as the monarch butterfly. 5) Opportunities for citizen science. GRE is interested in generating a website. They have not yet been specific about exactly what the website should include but they have supported phenology and climate change initiatives through Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. I believe they would be open to most of what we'd like to accomplish. Many of us have an interest in phenology. The website could collect some information as well as direct new observers to other well- developed sites, such as Ebird. 6) Some people might be more open to the use of dried plants in craft projects.