Habitat Restoration: Science & Technology verse Common Sense

I love this illustrative scene of Science based Technology which is usually promoted as something that will save the world because it's smarter than humans verses an actual human who in reality has far more impressive abilities if only properly utilized and correctly trained. But this post is more of a subject about technological innovation verses the human qualities of compassion, intuitive creativity and common sense, then someone being outwitted by a computer and smashing it to bits. Scientists and other researchers often forget these simple concepts or qualities when doing research these days as everything must seemingly be so intellectualized to death that they often miss some very good common sense ideas which don't waste valuable resources and time.  A huge part of the problem is that science now days is mostly done in a Lab and through the Internet. In the old days they actually did things through field work and first hand observation. Personally I've always been a hands on learner when it comes to learning and retaining anything. It's never been enough for me to read some book. I've got to get my hands dirty. Not that this is not done today, but many things are taken for granted now and field work is commonly viewed as unnecessary because someone else has already done the work and therefore I can read about it in a textbook. Unfortunately times have changed and the natural world DOES NOT behave and act as it once did. Indeed it is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Hence this is what makes most of the conventional textbooks old and out of touch with the reality of the present natural world.

I've already given this very subject a mention sometime back with regards the Tecate Cypress germination project being done at the San Diego Safari Park. I'm impressed with what they want to accomplish and I truly wish them well for success. But I was critical in their old archaic outdated  conventional school understanding of germination which was around back in the 1970s when I first investigated specifically Tecate Cypress seed germination. Long time successful Native Plant Nurseries in and around southern California have known many of these things for years, but apparently much of the University grade understanding has not caught up with what even these people know. Of course Nurseries have to maximize their knowledge and what they techniques they use in order to make a profit or they go under. I know for a fact that the majority of the owners of these Nurseries actually try and replicate Nature to an exact science for sure success. Government or Charity Funded Research Programs often don't have the same financial needs for being a viable business or keeping from going bankrupt. They acquire grant monies whether they succeed or fail. So maybe it's a motivational thing. Anyway, if you've got the time, here is subject of the matter, Nature verses science.

Seed Germination & Old School Ideology vrs How Nature Actually Works

Coast Cholla - Rattlesnake Mountain

There have been some more recent developments in research projects done over there that I found exciting, but again I question a few of their methods. Take for example the Cactus Wren Habitat Restoration Project. I found that exciting as I inadvertently when recreating a Coastal Cholla Habitat up on Rattlesnake Mountain in El Cajon CA also created a haven for Coastal Cactus Wrens which as a kid I never knew existed around that area there before. But low and behold there were numerous Cactus Wren nests the last time I visited. Now here is an example of where human time and experience is being shoved aside for reliance on so-called computer technology as opposed to real field experience which can be more effective and recalled to mind in an instant if that mind is properly trained. The subject was where to create habitat, what constitutes prime habitat, etc. Here's the quote in the article (which was a great article BTW):

Photo by Jodi Takei-Peterie, May 26, 2016

 "To this end, we are already propagating cacti to enhance an additional 50 acres (20 hectares) of habitat throughout San Pasqual Valley and utilizing advanced technology such as Geographic Information Systems, spatial analysis, and computer modeling and simulations to help us determine high-priority locations for habitat restoration efforts to maximize the probability of success." 

Now right here, I don't see or understand this reliance on this modern day obsession with computer models. Not that computer models don't have a place, but when wisely spent time in the field which creates experience for someone utilizing their brain, meditating and pondering over those observations which ultimately burns the experience into one's memory banks for life. My years of experience tell me that the vegetation habitat for Coastal Cactus Wren Habitat for production of successful cacti colonies needs low growing coastal sage scrub  some of which the species were even mentioned in the article. California Sagebrush, California Buckwheat, Black Sage, White sage, Coastal Brittle-Bush, etc. These plants don't get overly large and will not necessarily out compete either Prickly Pear or Coast Cholla Cactus. That's only logical and can be easily verified by outright observation in the field. You also need as far as Geography a south facing slope. A north facing slope will contain other Coastal Sage Scrub large treelike Toyons, Lemonade Berry etc which will overwhelm and dominate the habitat by several feet, or even meters in some cases. Any Cacti would have a tough chance colonizing. But I know this from experience of being outdoors, not because I read about it in a book or surfing the Net. Of course then there is the problem of the habitat dynamics and imputing all that data in that computer. Things have changed and not everything behaves as it once did. Will those data factors be uploaded into the computer simulations like invasive weeds ? The list is endless with no assurance that it'll work except within the mind of the programmer who ever that is. It may have some elementary school value, but young people need to be disconnected from the electronics and shoved out into the real world to experience how Nature really works.

hikingsdcounty.com

Then there was the article on Ground Squirrel Habitat restoration and in particular they are determined that these little guys are going to inhabit grassland like they believe they should (whether or not the squirrels want to & for their own good). Great idea and I hope they can find solutions, but they were focusing strictly on grassland prairie type settings. The example was the grassland preserve up in Ramona California. 

Ground Squirrel at Torrey Pines State Reserve

They of course acknowledged that the squirrels will live or be found almost anywhere. True enough, my wife & I on our last year's visit found Ground Squirrels, not in a Prairie setting, but  both up on Rattlesnake Mountain and along the coast at Torrey Pines State Reserve. The ones we saw at Torrey Pines had burrows in the Sandstone bluffs as you can see below and their diet wasn't just necessarily grasses(which are a part of their diet), but instead here numerous wildflowers found there. No doubt pines nut menu too.

Torrey Pines State Reserve - California

Now here were some of the things they were considering in order to determine just what Ground Squirrels like for their Burrow Construction Habitat. For them this was a Dirt Dynamics thing because no self respecting Ground Squirrel would reject a grassland setting with all those seeds. Actually, there are any of a number of ground squirrel habitats with varying geological composition and makeup. But those old traditional paradigms are hard to shatter. Here are some partial quotes:

"But what determines where a ground squirrel likes to live? Sometimes it seems like they are everywhere: in parks, at the beach, alongside roads, and around our properties. But when it comes to grassland habitats in San Diego County, they’re not always present where you might initially expect them to be. Figuring out where ground squirrels can and prefer to live is especially important when you want to move them to places where they are going to be successful. After all, we want them to establish a new population in a place that will allow them to help the habitat as a whole."

So they are determined to restore this Ramona Grassland Preserve and Ground Squirrels need to live there and be a part of that. The idea is if ground squirrels are present, then other creatures like Redtail Hawks, Coyotes and Burrowing Owls will be able to make up part of this living breathing ecosystem also. First I must say that I'm not overly sure that this area was originally grassland in the historical past. I am more inclined to think it as being chaparral in earlier times before European arrival. Much of the original California plant communities were changed from Chaparral to grasslands as a result of human mismanagement in the first place since making a living dealt with raising Cattle. But no matter, if they can create such a well oiled natural community grassland prairie machine then more power to them. The one problem I see are the invasive plants up there at this Preserve. From the photos there are a lot of tall European Wild Oats, Mediterranean Mustard and Star Thistle to name a few. All this is rather tall and crowds out even many of the native wildflowers which Ground Squirrels love. I've never really seen these creatures eat many of these invasives, even the rabbits don't touch a lot of those things. But there were even more quotes.

" . . working on over the last few months is collecting data for the California ground squirrel habitat suitability model in order to determine what habitat variables predict the presence or absence of ground squirrels in a particular area."

"At study sites around the county, we’ve been surveying for ground squirrel burrows and collecting data on the surrounding habitat characteristics, vegetation type, and height in the area and any potential burrow protection observed."  

"In addition, we’ve also been taking soil cores to determine soil density and other attributes, which we’ll assess later in the lab. Because ground squirrels are fossorial, we think soil type has a huge influence on their habitat preferences." 

Now they do acknowledge the plant height problems. This makes sense since Ground Squirrels like an element of observational structure in their communal habitat. In some areas they utilize Elfin Forest lookout perches provided by Chaparral for their lookout Sentinel Post. For the Squirrel community, just like Prairie Dogs or even the African Meerkats, they have a Sentry on duty. Heavy dense tall grassland does not allow for this. Take a look at some of the observations of Prairie Dog Habitat preferences and why they are such. 

Black Prairie Dog - Landscape-scale habitat characteristics

"Black-tailed prairie dogs inhabit grasslands, including short- and mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush steppe, and desert grasslands. Shortgrass prairies dominated by buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), and western wheatgrass (Pascopyron smithii), and mixed-grass prairies that have been grazed by native and nonnative herbivores are their preferred habitat. Slopes of 2% to 5% and vegetation heights between 3 and 5 inches (7–13 cm) are optimal for detecting predators and facilitating communication."

"Black-tailed prairie dog distribution is not limited by soil type, but by indirect effects of soil texture on moisture and vegetation. Colonies occur in many types of soil, including deep, alluvial soils with medium to fine textures, and occasionally gravel. Soil not prone to collapsing or flooding is preferred. Though they do not select specific types of soil to dig burrows, silty loam clay soils are best for tunnel construction"

So a couple of observed logical points here about the Prairie Dogs preferences. Vegetation must be short grass Prairie type habitat with slight slopes or other mounding type areas for observation with regards predators. They are not particular as to soil type, mostly it is vegetation and geography issues. This makes complete sense and there is no reason not to believe that Ground Squirrels look for similar circumstance. Tall Grasslands never work and I have also seen this. If and when I did saw Ground Squirrels as a kid in or around grasslands in areas growing up like El Cajon and Santee, the Squirrels and their community burrows were almost always without fail in the numerous granite boulder outcroppings which appear intermittently inside or around such Southern California grassland habitats. Not only is it burrow protection, but the boulders offered high perches for which to keep lookout for predators. If there were no boulder outcroppings, then at least there was a rise in the landscape as in a slight hill or large mound rising from the flat grassland. They always like the open areas for which to run, even when in mountains. Tall invasive dense weeds and grasses not only prevent this, but they are not necessarily a favourite food source. No amount of Dirt Collection and study in a Lab is going to change what the squirrel prefers or will force him to adapt. 

Oh and one more important point of note. They also are most numerous living in among human urban habitat developments. Go figure! I'm sure the main reason for the grassland project however was the benefit to birds of prey like the Golden or even Bald Eagles that reside up there. Although I don't normally think of Bald Eagles as preying on squirrels as much as aquatic prey. 

Photo courtesy of Dr. Roger Banner, USU Extension

Another example of a Science problem in the literature. There are continual flaws in photos and species listings and even critically bad reporting on the plant life itself. I often see such blunders in conventional Nurseries when looking for plants. I see it in municipa parks and preserves where specimen plants are brought in a a sitting or viewing area and mislabeled. But take the example of a draft I have here on Bush Food edibles and the subject of the native plant called Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata) and the photo of it on a University Cooperative Extension site. The above photo is not of a Coyote Melon, but a similar vining plant in the southwest known as Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) 

http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/coyote-melon-gourd

photo by Cal-photo - Coyote Mellon

Now I have no idea who is at fault here, the good Doctor or the University of Utah, but someone clearly didn't get the plant ID correct. Coyote Melon looks like the photo to the above left. It has smaller star shaped leaves as opposed to the larger triangular leaves of the Buffalo Gourd. Then there are also some bad description of the plant which are also commonly misapplied to chaparral plant community as well. Of course I have the same pet peeve with some retail nurseries which will have a Sycamore labeled as California Sycamore, but it has the leaves of a London Plane Tree. Oh well, take a look at what was said under the subtitle "Uses and Management"

"This vine can be invasive"

Really ???? How can a plant become invasive in it's own natural habitat ? Generally if there is some increase it is the result of disturbance or land mismanagement of a Human, not the plant. The other problem with the way things are done within science is that it is biased and heavily influenced by ideology, philosophy and politics in many cases all three categories being blind faith in a sort of religious nature.

Image - Wikipedia User: Geographer

I'm here to say that fire is NOT necessary for these trees to actually move and spread their boundaries into wild uncharted new habitats among the chaparral. It is true and you will find the literature everywhere that says Tecate Cypress and Knobcone pine will keep their cones for decades upon decades before releasing seed after such a fire disaster. But as I wrote before from personal experience, there are other factors the experts never think to consider or observe. Like climate and animal or bird foraging.

Image by Chris Mallek 2015 (Flickr)

But I have personally been to areas of habitat for both these trees and found in very very OLD GROWTH habitat that there were seedlings of both these trees under chaparral and other trees which were only 3 or 4 inches high. Now where did that seed come from ? There wasn't a fire to open the cones anywhere recently or the adults would have been absent. But oddly enough you will find some open cones on these trees here and there. Also there is the factor of foraging wildlife like Scrubjays and other birds or even squirrels looking for a meal. And who knows what extinct animals like the California Grizzly Bear may have contributed as a role to this in the ancient not so historical past. The total tonnage of stuff that science doesn't have a clue about in the way the ecology of many plant & animal communities may have once worked in the pristine past is astronomical.

Image - Chaparral Institute

One area of Tecate Cypress old growth where I personally have collected seed from is Guatay Mountain in San Diego County California. Now this mountain for as long as I can remember has always had the reputation of not burning even in recent major Mega-fire events. The area is truly an example of old growth luck in having the good fortune of not having such a catastrophe. Yet up in those pockets of Tecate Cypress woodlands you will find all manner of different aged trees everywhere. Even few years old seedlings. That of course doesn't mean they all make it to adulthood, but they are present even if not easily seen from the road. So why is there this seed release and germination anomaly if there has been no fires in a few hundred years ? Sometimes hot weather events trigger this as well. Sometimes bird peck and split open the cones, but you won't find these things promoted in the literature.

Here's a sum up and I'm out of here. Common sense in our modern society is often over ridden by the ideological flavour of the times. Nobody considers questioning some of the nonsense the modern leadership is spouting and I don't care if we're talking politician, scientist, business or religious leadership. When something doesn't remotely seem right, investigate for yourself. Unfortunately Newer Students lack much life experience and are vulnerable to bad influence. They are not taught to use their brains and thinking abilities as much as they were in the past. Of course this also depends much on the instructor. A type of laziness has set in with the introduction of the electronic age. People in all manner of life look like Cyborgs who appear as if fragile to the point of death if you even attempted disconnect them from their electronic devises. People were more likely to enjoy the outdoors before the early 1990s and be interested in ecological issues. That has rapidly waned since the turn of the century. While there are a handful of people concerned about environmental issues, if you have an apathetic public, they are easier to control what information they are fed and will accept. Hopefully some here have become wiser at least on a few local issues.

My sister told me I should create a Facebook Account and write these subjects on Note Pages for people to read and I can receive 100s if not 1000s of "Likes". Seriously, what in the world is a "Like" anyway ? Who wants "Likers" who lazily and passively acknowledge, 'Oh yeah that sounds great, somebody should do something' The Earth needs Doers who get off their Duffers. These application examples can be found worldwide, not just in So-Cal. 

BTW, I really do like the San Diego Zoo and wish them success in their hard work. The point is I don't want to see them lose! I enjoy many of their projects and reading about them. So I'm critical of things I believe will hinder that success. I just want more logical common sense input and action while dumping some of the old school thinking. This is why outdoor observation and developing exact techniques which adhere closely to biomimicry of Nature is so important. 

Final Take on Botanical Gardens in Göteborg and an Amazing Once Believed Extinct Tree

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) 

This incredibly kool prehistoric looking tree once only found in the fossil records, but actually rediscovered not that far back in 1944 in China, was once the dominant tree of the northern hemisphere. Fossils and actual mummified stumps and trunk remains of both Metasequoia & similar trees like Bald Swamp Cypress have been found everywhere in places like the extreme northern Canadian Archipelago in the Arctic, countries like Bükkábrány Hungary, states like Arizona and so on. The trees discovered were massive in comparison to the present modern day form specimens which are protected in their preserve over in Hubei Province China. One man is so impressed with this wonder that he has dedicated an organization and website to this single tree. Great info. He's created a Reserve for them and will open this to the public in 2035. In the mean time you can view his website for info and pictures.

http://www.dawnredwood.org

Here are some of my pictures of the single specimen at the Göteborg Botanical Gardens. It was exciting when I found it there on my first visit ever to the Botanical Gardens. Prior to the visit I had been researching Metasequoia as a result of the uncovered giant trees found at the north pole on Axel Heiberg Island some couple decades back and the studies of not only the tree, but also what the climate was like to have such an incredible forest of these giants along with countless other biodiverse living organisms. There is a large stump field right where the trees actually grew after what was described by some as a mega-tsunami which destroyed life there by snapping the trees off their trunks and burying them under massive amounts of sediment which apparently flash froze. Sounds like a "The Day After Tomorrow" scenario of sorts doesn't it ? They estimate in an area called the Buchanon Lake Formation there are some 10,000+ logs and other debris buried there. But the truly amazing thing is that the evidence of this ancient world is still somewhat fresh. The wood still burns and so would the cones, leaves, twigs and branches they have unearthed as a result of further global warming revealing this treasure. None of this is petrified wood as in other fossils caches. Just extremely well preserved organic matter. I'll post a further references pages on this subject below. 

(PHOTO BY LYN ANGLIN/NRCAN)

Image - virtualmuseum.ca

The photo above insists that this is a 50-million-year old tree stump which lies exposed on Axel Heiberg Island, where Nunavut may establish a territorial park. I'm skeptical as to an actual 50 million years old without anything happening to cause decay. But the prevailing ideological philosophy holds the power of the print. Below is a photo of the stump field on the hillside. Notice the lake terracing effects of the gradual receding waters which were no doubt followed by snow and glacial build ups. One can only imagine how such an enormous extinction event not only wiped out all the rich biodiverse ancient life for good, but also entirely changing the weather dynamics permanently which presently prevents a re-occurrence of such life again.

Image - David Greenwood

The picture above is said to be Fossil Forest Hill which is the site of the ancient Redwood forest on the Island of Axel Heiberg, which the northern most region of the Canadian Archipelago. If you look closely, you'll see what is termed 'Lake Terracing'. It's both breath taking in the sense of actually being there to see such an amazing fossil find and in a certain way sad as to realize what once was is now gone as a result of a catastrophic event. It has been suggested that a powerful catastrophic event like a mega-tsunami triggered by massive volcanism snapped these giant tree trunks in two like some match sticks and buried the majority of resulting 10,000+ logs and debris in what is called the Buchanon Lake Formation. So burying the majority of forest debris and leaving behind massive stump fields. But now there is another problem. This major volcanism event also blew tonnes of volcanic ash and cases high up into the atmosphere and rapidly changed the regions mild climate to a below zero frigid one in which massive glaciation took place burying and preserving this stump field. Only now with global warming and melting back of these ice caps can we see the exposed ancient forest of mummified wood. That in itself is different than labeling these stumps as fossils, at least rock fossils in the real sense. This wood still burns in a camp fire. But now back to the Göteborg Botanical Gardens and the Dawn Redwoods or Metasequoia.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) 
Göteborg Botanical Gardens

The example they have at the Botanical Gardens is by no means a giant of any sort, but beautiful none the less. Especially in the wet evergreen surroundings of other forests trees and herbaceous understory. It is located way in the back of the gardens among other like conifers. I really wished more people would use this as a landscape tree here, but I never see it sold anywhere in the plant Nurseries, or as the Swedes call them, Plantskola (literally translated as 'Plant School'). Don't ask, I have no clue why! Even still, it's a beautiful tree and I'll have to get back this coming Fall to see if I can actually catch a glimpse of the golden reddish Fall foliage. Remember, the Dawn Redwood unlike the two evergreen California native redwood species is a deciduous tree. There is a Nurseryman in New Mexico who has been successful growing these trees and somewhere in the Sauraton Mountains of North Carolina, lies the Crescent Ridge Dawn Redwoods Preserve, there is a private endeavor to re-establish a self regulating forest of meta-sequoia in the Appalachian region.

The upper tree canopy of the Metasequoia

Dawn Redwood - Göteborg Sweden

Example of the twisted furrowed patterns on this trees trunk. Very different from the deep straight furrowed look of the other Redwoods like the Coastal and Sierra Redwoods. In many ways it resembles more the Bald Swamp Cypress of the southern United States accept it have a more conical shape whereas the Swamp Cypress may be often more broadly crowned and multiple trunk or branched higher up the canopy. This is also seen from the very top photo of this post.

Metasequoia Leaves

The leaves however more closely resemble the California Coastal Redwood as opposed to the Sierra Redwood which are more Cypress or Juniper-like. They are also different however from the evergreen Coast Redwood in that this tree is deciduous and the leaves turn golden to red in the Fall and winter months it is completely bare. One of the more fascinating finds on Axel Heiberg Island was not just the 10,000+ logs and tree stumps they found, but also extremely well preserved forest floor tree liter with cones of various tree species. And it looks as fresh as when it first fell from the trees, take a look below.

Dr. Ken Hooper Virtual Natural History Museum  Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre, Canada

Fall Colouration

Take an example view of the Fall or Autumn  colouration before the onset of winter and the complete leaf fall. These are brilliantly coloured trees in the Fall. Incredibly there is a research fascility called Arboretum Tome in New Mexico which maintains 33 genetic lines of this tree and has successfully grown them for over 20 years. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University at Cambridge Massachusetts USA sent an expedition over to China to collect some of the seeds which were germinated and thereafter sample seedlings sent out to other Arboretae and Universities worldwide.  They (the seeds) weren't brought over to the United States until 1948 and problems developed after that with inbreeding as a result of lack genetic diversity. But further collections by those who have a fondness and love for this tree has changed that.

Dawn Redwood Grove in Fall Colour

This tree would be a challenge to grow in many of the drier locations on Earth, but possible given enough water and the proper biological organisms makeup of the soil they are in. The Los Lunas, New Mexico Nursery "Trees The Please" which is just south of Albuquerque is an excellent example of growing such trees in an otherwise challenging soil and climate environment. Please review some of the important and informative links below for further understanding of proper soil requirements and the ability to change saline and badly alkaline soils into a rich forested habitat by using biological processes which have the ability to digest, redistribute and to recreate the Earth into something extremely productive. Keep in mid that not everyone is on board with turning wastelands into natural productive ecosystems. Many environmental groups become viciously indignant at the very thought of changing the status quo of any untouched wildland for the better. The Center for Biological Diversity in Arizona and one of it's main leaders and spokeman, Kieran Suckling viciously attack author, Fred Pearce, who wrote a wonderful article in E360-Yale back in 2013 about the transformation of a true desert island, Ascension Island in the south Atlantic. Over 100+ years ago sailors & a well known British Botanist had brought and planted various plants on the bare island which moved up the mountain slopes and created a cloud forest. Previously little rain fell, but now they get precipitation and running streams where there was once nothing. The reason for the environmentalist anger ? They claimed certain native lichens, mosses, desert ferns and other small perennials would be wiped out by these non-native invaders. Many comments I read in the comments section were like, "If Nature wanted a forest there, it would have evolved one". This is such complete nonsense. A major study of how the island tramsformed itself could be used as a foundation stone for building up other desert ecosystems and restoration of areas ruined by land misuse.

image by Arno Gourdol (Dec 22, 2008)
Borrego badlands from Font's Point

See this beautiful although lifeless looking badland area above ??? It's in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in Southern california near where I grew up and lived for some 30+ years. I was attacked by the Southern California Desert Protective Council (now a defunct oranization) who were livid that I would suggest turning lifeless Anza Borrego badlands into protective native plant ecosystem. There are many environmental groups out there who feel exactly the same way and believe they know how Science should be used and what Earth needs, but the reality is they are mainly obsessed with a political ideology and a secular worldview that views other humans as a threat to the natural world. I call it, "David Attenborough Syndrome" who called all 'humans beings the plague of the earth' which has been parroted within scientific and environmental organizations for the re-implimentation of Eugenics programs of sterilization and increased abortions. Of course the followers of such groups never view themselves as part of that threat either, because the main focus is always on their opponents. In any event, I hope this spotlight on Metasequoia helpful and shows how much further humans have to go as far as learning about nature if they really intend on improving the earth. Here's the post I wrote on that very subject of the creation of a new earth.

Tardigrades: pioneers in creating a new Earth ?

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REFERENCES:

Plant of the Month: Dawn Redwood

The Arboretum Tomé - Education Center

http://www.dawnredwood.org/

University of Cambridge Botanic Garden & Dawn Redwood

http://www.metasequoia.org/

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE “LIVING FOSSIL” METASEQUOIA GLYPTOSTROBOIDES (TAXODIACEAE): A REVIEW (1943–2003)

Time Out Post: Guerrila Habitat Improvement

when you have grey hair no one suspects you of anything

In  the archives of both my blogs, this one you are reading and "Earth's Internet" I have a number of personal accounts of Guerrilla Habitat Restoration. There are a number of organizations and folks out there somewhere who just plain love the natural world who have privately and covertly created natural beautification enhancements where it was once lacking. One such example comes from Tucson Arizona where an un-named individual made a rather remarkable street improvement where nothing more than just plain gravel existed between a sidewalk and the street in what is normally a planting space. Such spots can be found everywhere in any city, in need of loving care by some dedicated landscaper, Guerilla or otherwise.

By Matt Griffiths

The improvement involved digging up a volunteer Mesquite Tree Seedling and transplanting it where it would be better appreciated instead of being weeded out of it's previous location. Now there is no surprise that I love deserts and all things to do with Mesquite Trees. But this mystery individual/s (He & Wife) documented the progress of their tree rescued seedling and transplanting into a location that badly needed improvement in a location where no one including the city cared to bother with. Frankly the idea of doing such a thing appeals to me because I also have done things similar with regards to Torrey Pine tree planting where they shouldn't have existed. Take a look.

Guerilla Street Tree Planting of Mesquite in Tucson Arizona

Four years from seedling to street tree

 Guerilla Street Tree Planter's comment on their success with their covert street improvements:

"My sweetheart and I noticed this tiny mesquite seedling sprouting beside an old stump in 2007. We watered it and look: Shade in 2011!"

Here is their next apparent attempt at improvement of a property where the landlord didn't care to create a nice habitat for his Tenants.

"Planted May 17 2011. Three little seedlings on the brutally hot west side of a three unit house.  The tenants like to sit on the steps and visit. I can’t wait to see them shaded. This works best on properties with indifferent tenants and  landlords that don’t care."

I sure hope they update us on  it's progress! 😏

http://pollyannapavement.wordpress.com

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Further sites of interest:

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/ 

http://www.laguerrillagardening.org/

Ökenliv 2012 (DEsert Life) - Bugs & Blooms

Incredible Looking Flowers ?????

I spent much time wandering around looking at other flower beds at the Göteborg Botanical Gardens and came across these very interesting looking small flowering plants on a steep slope, yet there was no signage describing to me what I was seeing. The combination of yellows and blueish-purples. Maybe somebody viewing this knows exactly what the plant is. Yet on close up inspection of the plant, not everything was what it seemed. It actually reminded me of Poinsetta plants where what most people consider a flower is actually the leaves, The actual flowers being yellow and very tiny compared to the giant red leaves. Take a closer view below.

See what I mean ??????????

But there were further things that caught my interest. Mostly I've never been to an area with so many wild varieties of BumbleBees. In most places on the Earth today they have become either extinct or mostly absent from the urban scenes. Honey Bees have replaced them, but even they are up a creek so to speak with the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in recent News on a global scale. But here around Göteborg, Sweden they are able to thrive.

Bumble Bee on a variety of Salvia

Honey Bee on Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea)

Photo: Mine

There were some Butterflies but not many. We always called these in our gardens back home Cabbage Moths and there was a yellow variety there. But who knows, I'm not exactly an expert on bug world names except many of the familiar common ones I am use to back home. But then I found one below that was far more interesting.

Photo: Mine

Does not look all that spectacular, but wait till it opens his/her wings. I must have waited close to an hour.

Photo: Mine

It was worth the wait and yet the shot was difficult. Let's face it, I'm in someone else's extremely manicured backyard where the gardens are perfectly neat and in order to get some better close-ups you've got to stick your big feet into the fluffy tilled amended soil or onto some other plants and that wouldn't have gone down real well as there were many of visitors watching every move you made. Okay, I only made a couple of giant size 12" footprints, But I brushed them a bit afterwards. *smile*

Photo: Mine

There were a couple of interesting critters in the bee/fly family like this guy who had the ability to perform a number of precision helicopter antics and stunts. Interesting also is that all of these guys had their favourite flowers that appealed to them specifically. This little Chihuahua dude above only liked this plant and it's petite raspberry coloured flowers

Photo: Mine

This was just a kool shot of another variety of Echinacea with long drooping pink flower petals with the reflection pool in the background.

Photo: Mine

Going back to my original entry which I wrote about in the beginning of this series where the Gardeners had incorporated various Cacti & Agave into desert flower mixes, I found that I had missed a few details. Here was some of the native New Mexico flowers I mentioned from a previous article which was the  Mexican Hat  Coneflower   (Ratibida columnifera)

Photo: Mine

And how could you not incorporate these into the mix of all things Desert decor. Chile pepper plants of all sorts are sold here everywhere as ornamental indoor-outdoor decor plants. I doubt the Swedes here use them much for culinary arts as they tend  to burn their northern European lips on Katsup.

These really reminded me of California Tiger Lily

Another Bumble Bee shot

Photo: Mine

This little guy was all by him/herself. Generally I usually see these guys in large numbers, even in the States. Can't remember the name, but Margarethe Brummermann of Tucson Arizona would surely know.

Just another shot of the flower with Bumble Bee 

Another succulent directional sign

Magnollia stellata 'Centennial'

Finally before I exited the gardens I had to go back and take some photos of the desert themes in between some of the rocks with plants that appeared desert-like, but weren't. I just caught a couple more angles of some of these amazing settings that look like they shouldn't belong here in Sweden.

Magnollia stellata 'Centennial'

Magnolia sieboldii 'Buskmagnolia'

Now below here is another variety of Magnolia they incorporated into the rocks which is actually behind the photograph just above here. Take a look at it's shape and form and once again use the imagination on how such a plant could be incorporated into a landscape that doesn't necessarily allow for a true Desert theme. Notice also the understory planting ? I'll place that picture below this one.

Magnolia sieboldii 'Buskmagnolia'

Marmalade Coral Bells

Heuchera x 'Marmalade' 

Just after I made the final exit and before I actually rode the trolley home, I visited a spot where I had been a few times at the end of the Trolley #10 line where an interesting 'U' shaped Apartment complex design reminded me of something else in nature that can have a natural shaping and growth guiding effect on trees like this Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) which incredibly does very well over here. 

Spring Blooms

We have a stand of them grown in a long row along a boulevard where we live, but they are in the open and more rounded in appearance. This one below is long tall and slender. Something also that I  would imagine seeing in a slot canyon in Northern Arizona in Redrock country. Look at the way the building's walls perfectly shape it. One of the other major rewards for those in climates not conducive to growing citrus is the 'Orange Blossom' fragrance which permeates the air all around your garden when these flowers display the white Wysteria like blossom clusters.

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Photo: Mine

Again I love the tall slender growth which allows for numerous other plants under the tree in a courtyard setting. The two trees on either side are Norway Maples.

Just another angle from within the courtyard itself.

Looking up from the base of the tree at it's trunk

Photo: Mine

And one last shot before leaving for home. This tree is an amazing survivor. Not only does it accept this cold freezing often wet rainy (Sucky) climate, but it does well in Southern California in hot dry interior valleys and high deserts. Truly remarkable and something to consider with the in between climates. Not sure about low deserts, but maybe someone else can comment on examples they may know of.

For more on Robinia, see my piece on New Mexico Locust at my "Earth's Internet" blog where I explain the networking abilities underground with this plant's relationship networking to other plants within it's ecosystem community.

Networking With (New Mexico Locust)

Tomorrow one last look at a specimen tree that has nothing to do with the Desert theme, but a tree once thought extinct and only found in the fossil records until someone discovered it was in China in 1945.