A Blogfest Over a Project in Brooklyn - New York Times

A Blogfest Over a Project in Brooklyn - New York Times . The future is here.

Orchids of the Ojibway

To add to my post about the ecological design and planning of the Green Corridor in Windsor, I would just like to include a link to the website of the Ojibway Nature Centre where the Ojibway Prairie Complex is located.
As you can see from the aerial photos, the area is surrounded by urban development and is dissected by a hydroelectric right-of-way (ROW). This picture demonstrates how isolated this patch of natural preserve really is and highlights the importance of planting native species in our backyards, in our schools and in public spaces to enhance the ecological integrity of our bioregion. As you can see from this area map, The Ojibway Nature Centre site is close to other areas of natural and scientific interest (ANSI), such as Walpole Island and Point Pelee National Park .
When looking through the Ojibway Nature Centre website, I was surprised to find strikingly beautiful and rare varieties of orchids thriving there; and I was pleased to discover that some of these orchids can grow happily throughout the Carolinian life zone, which means that they are appropriate for native prairie and meadow gardens in Toronto! Here is the link to read more about the rare and wonderful orchids of southern Ontario:
http://www.ojibway.ca/orchids.htm
(Photo, above-right, is of Small Yellow Lady-slipper Orchid).
Cheers,
Ping

GREEN CORRIDOR or GREENWAY?

In light of the lecture about the distinction between Greenways and Corridors, I thought that the emerging 'Green Corridor' http://www.greencorridor.ca/ in Windsor Ontario would be an interesting case to look at. The Green Corridor project is an artist driven, community-based collaboration between Canadian artist Noel Harding, the University of Windsor, and various other community stakeholders. The plan is to redevelop the 'international bridge corridor' that links Canada to the United States at the Windsor-Detroit border as part of a green infrastructure that links the people to the water and also improves the aesthetic of one of the busiest transport bridges along the border. The multi-disciplinary Green Corridor design team is revisioning the entire bridge corridor as an opportunity to engage the Windsor community in environmental landscape design and planning. This project is especially relevant to our course because the designs for the some of the key features of the entire Green Corridor were developed by students in a class at the University of Windsor! Working closely with artists, architects, engineers, scientists, and city officials, students at the University of Windsor were able to help design a 'nature bridge,' which is a vegetated pedestrian overpass that allows people to access a sensitive wetland area for educational purposes. How's that for some inspiration? Other features of the Green Corridor include the construction of a river turbine that generates power and an eco-learning house. This area of Windsor is also notable because it is close to the Ojibway Plains - "Ontario's largest and most important prairie-savanna sites," according to Tallgrass Ontario (http://www.tallgrassontario.org/PrairiePlaces_Ojibway.htm). Evidently, the Windsor area is not merely a transportation corridor but a site of ecological importance. Although the Green Corridor project is not a wildlife corridor in the strictest sense, it does stand to be an important greenway that allows people to commune with rare and beautiful pockets of native habitats that are threatened to become extinct. It seems that there is a fight going on to save the Ojibway Prarie Complex http://www.tallgrassontario.org/Publications/CPOWNews%203_29_05.pdf
and hopefully the Green Corridor project can bring attention to the plight of this majestic landscape. I think I'll be taking a trip to the High Park savanna in the summer to appreciate our local piece of the prairie!
Enjoy the fine weather!
(^_^)Ping
P.S. I found a link to the website of Noel Harding (http://www.noelharding.ca/), the artist who worked on the Green Corridor in Windosr. It turns out that he also worked on an ecological design project, called Elevated Wetlands, in Toronto's Don Valley. The artwork is a solar-powered pump that draws rainwater to the the top of the vegetated sculpture to clean the water naturally before it is returned to the earth. An innovative marriage of art and ecology that urban designers all strive for. Plus, it was a community-based project, meaning that industry, government, students, and community members were involved, making it another excellent example of how participatory planning and collaborative art methods can be applied as tools of ecological landscape design and implementation.

Sherwood Park - urban mature forest

- a look @ the forest
a 2nd look @ the forest
volunteer at the park explaining the discovery walkthe Burke Brookbad/extreme case of soil erosion within park
main area for park users outside forest

Sherwood Park has one of the finest stands of native trees in the city. Steep slopes are covered in locally rare old growth forest with magnificent trees more than 150 years old. This woodland has experienced severe stress from the constant pressure of urban use. Erosion on the steep slopes which undermines trees causing them to fall, compaction of the soil around tree root systems, destruction of tree seedlings and other plant species required for regeneration of a healthy woodland, are examples of the problems threatening Sherwood Park's beauty. These problems result from heavy use especially bicycle riding and walking on the steep slopes and in the woods. Too many "informal" trails have been created by these users, leading to woodland damage.

The Sherwood Park Advisory Committee composed of representatives from local residents' associations and other user groups, meets regularly to advise the City¡¦s Parks and Recreation Department on the management of Sherwood Park. Several native tree and shrub plantings have been undertaken by the Advisory Committee, jointly with the Department of Parks and Recreation, in areas of the Park experiencing erosion or requiring rehabilitation. These plantings involved local schools and members of local residents' associations. The Advisory Committee has developed an overall set of guidelines for the management of Sherwood Park and produces an annual workplan listing projects for joint action with Parks and Recreation. The guidelines and workplans are intended to help preserve and restore the natural environment so that Sherwood Park's educational and recreational potentials are realized and maintained.

To reach the community objectives, The City of Toronto produced a ¡§Ravine Working Plan¡¨ for Sherwood Park in 1989 and an ¡§Ecological Land Classification Vegetation Inventory and Monitoring Plan¡¨ in 1998/99 (by William Draper Consulting). The ¡§Ravine Working Plan¡¨ provides guidelines for Management and maintenance of the natural ravine system to maintain the natural system so there will be a healthy environment for public recreation. ¡§The goal is to restore natural vegetation and maintain the ravine in its historic natural character while maintaining it as a usable public space.¡¨ Closing of some trails and some erosion control measures were also recommended. The following paraphrases the regeneration situation and recommendations: The present overstory is composed mostly of desirable native species; however, the regeneration lacks both quantity and quantity and has low species diversity. Prolific regeneration of non-native species such as Norway maple threatens the future of native species within the ravine. Planting of native species is required and Norway maple regeneration must be removed from much of the area. Species that are shade tolerant or moderately shade tolerant and grow well on sand loam sites are ideal for this ravine. Suitable species are Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Basswood, American Beech, White Pine and Eastern Hemlock. Naturally occurring regeneration together with these plantings will help to maintain a healthy ecosystem for the future.

Sherwood Park is located at 1200 Mt. Pleasant Road at Sherwood Avenue.

Source:

Google Image Result for http://www.preservationist.net/zoning_land_use/brownfield.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.preservationist.net/zoning_land_use/brownfield.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.preservationist.net/zoning_land_use/brownfield.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.preservationist.net/zoning_land_use/brownfield.jpg
from brownfield to golf course

Seattle Art Museum :: Three Projects - Design

Seattle Art Museum :: Three Projects - Design
on a former industrial site

Riverfront Wilmington

Riverfront Wilmington

Google Image Result for http://www.greensgrow.org/images_04/spot/brownfield.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.greensgrow.org/images_04/spot/brownfield.jpg

Smart Communities Network: Green Development Articles / Publications

Smart Communities Network: Green Development Articles / Publications

Geese in the City

Here is an excerpt from an article on goose management in cities:

"For many residents of greater Toronto, the honkers flying in V-formation are no longer a sentimental symbol of the passing seasons, but the first sign of an onslaught of noise, droppings and damage. Southern Ontario has always been a stopover for populations of Canada geese migrating between their wintering grounds in the United States and their vast nesting grounds in Northern Canada. But overhunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s almost wiped them out. Now the birds have become a continent-wide problem wherever urban shorelines and goose flyways intersect.
When the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources reintroduced Canada geese (Branta canadensis) across southern Ontario beginning in 1968, the project was heralded as a wildlife management success: people welcomed the majestic, white-cheeked birds back to Toronto. But it soon became apparent that wildlife managers had created a monster: fuelled by a ready food supply and safe from hunters, the goose population stopped migrating and began to double every five years, reaching an estimated 250,000 birds in southern Ontario by 1997, concentrated between Hamilton and Oshawa. Today, municipal and wildlife officials are trying everything in their power to discourage geese without discouraging people from using urban green space -- a tricky balance since geese and humans are drawn to the same places for the same reasons: secure, manicured lawns and waterfront vistas."

It was a surprise to me to learn that the Canada goose, one of our national symbols, was once an endangered species. These days they are treated like pigeons, as a nuisance. The article goes on to discuss the different management options, such as deportation, planting unappetizing grass, noise makers, herding dogs, and finally slaughter.

The author highlights the fact that urban wildlife management is a touchy issue because people are competing with animals for space and it's not clear whose rights are more important. Is it more important to have manicured lawns, or is it more important for geese to have a place to rest? I'm not sure that I agree with the view that animal rights should be valued over human rights. I believe in a balanced perspective; however, I must admit that I don't like to step in goose 'guano.' One of the most promising management options seems to be the use of plants that discourage geese from feeding. What do y'all think?

Here's the full article:
http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/resources/archives/goose_MJ98.asp

Welcome to Urban Nature in the News

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We will be experimenting with using the blog to post interesting news items that relate to Urban Nature and topics we discuss in the class.

After you email me with a brief note about yourself and your interests, I will send you an email invitation to join the blog and to start posting.