Preserving Wild Spaces Through Design

Lets start out with a question, how much of your backyard would you be willing to give up if it meant you could live on a greenbelt? Think about it, hiking and biking trails, wildlife at your doorstep. Would you give up some of your private space for a shared green space? I am going to go ahead and lay out all of my biases right now. I am completely biased towards shared green spaces. I love them far more than a backyard any day of the week. I purposefully live in an apartment, without a yard, specifically to avoid the financial and time sucking burden a backyard brings. It is possible that the quantity of time I spent mowing and raking my backyard as a teenager might have something to do with this. 

Are backyards going away? Well sort of. The backyard is decreasing in size, partly because as land prices increase houses are getting larger but lots are getting smaller (1). A second trend occurring is urbanization in general. As land prices increase and cities expand outwards, houses are being replaced with high rise apartments and thus the yard per family idea is silently going away (2). Grassy lawns made up almost 2% of total land area in 2005, more than all of our corn crops combined (3). Aside from being a huge amount of land, it takes nearly 7 billion gallons of water per day to keep all of that grass irrigated. All in all lawns do end up acting as a carbon sink, so it’s not all bad right? (4).

Above is a google maps snapshot of what I would call a "suburbia desert". There is a single tiny park on the Northwest side of the map. There is no shared green space that is within walking distance for many residents of this neighborhood. 

If you happen to live in a city that understands the incredible importance of mixed use spaces then you are in luck. You probably already have quite a few of these around. As the city becomes more urban the number of those spaces are likely to increase. If you live in a city that does not see the value in these spaces (looking at you Corpus Christi), it is hard to convince city planners to design these in the building code. City parks and baseball fields are not the only thing here, I am talking about specifically designed wildlife corridors within a city. This natural area can have considerably more uses than a single backyard and can supply more habitat to native species.

Most backyard owners are not thinking specifically about natural habitat when they landscape or mow. Instead they are often thinking about usable space for family activities. A shared space can incorporate all of the above. A family space, playing fields, wildlife habitat, water recharge and much more. By sacrificing backyard space developers can create a communal area that brings people in contact with each other and nature. As we build new cities and expand our growing ones, it is important that developers plan these green spaces into the design. It would also be imperative to connect spaces from one neighborhood to another to allow for wildlife movement.

The photo above is a google maps snapshot of neighborhoods that all share a greenbelt. The greenbelt connects to larger parks on both the west and east side. Nearly all residents are within walking distance to a shared green space. This happens to be centered around a floodplain but why not everywhere?

These ideas are new to suburbia dwellers that thrive on private backyards and have no desire for contact with their neighbors. You should hear some of the lunchroom chat when I bring this up with my coworkers. “Share a space with my neighbors? I don't even like them!” As we transition into denser cities and increase our desire to conserve resources, shared green spaces are an important addition. We must figure out ways to better live with nature and not sequester it to one part of the city. There is an idea that the urban city and wild nature are separate. Wildlife occurs "somewhere else" and requires a long drive to attend. When we sequester nature to tiny islands in the city, it is either over used or not used at all due to inaccessibility. Both are equally negative.  “We are the engineers of our cities, when and where we decide to let nature back in is up to us”-David Attenborough.

Sources for

1.McGill, Andrew, Lawn Census https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/lawns-census-bigger-homes-smaller-lots/489590/
2Weissmann,Jordan Urbanization http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/03/04/u_s_urbanization_big_cities_are_booming.html
3. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/6019
4.https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Lawn/lawn3.php

What lies out of sight of Val'Qurico, Mexico.

We headed out one morning on a road trip through the mountains and into the state of Puebla. We had quite a lot on our list to visit, one place being the hacienda-turned-tourist hotspot Val’Qurico. The former hacienda is now under construction for an expansion and includes a beautiful public square with restaurants and all manner of tourist attractions. As we were driving into Val’Qurico we approached a bridge and were hit with an incredible smell. It felt as though the inside of my nose was sunburned and my mouth immediately tasted metallic. I could think of nothing else to do but blow air furiously out of my nose and take a sip of water to rinse out my mouth. We all looked around in the car and my husband yelled out “look, look at the river, the smell is from the river.” We peeked out of the car window and saw a sight I have never seen before. A fast flowing river under the bridge turned a milky grey color from pollution. The smell only intensified as we got closer and I found myself holding my breath as to not breathe the toxic air. The metal and feces infused smell faded as we departed the bridge and rounded the corner. We arrived shortly after at Val’Qurico and needless to say I was completely incapable of enjoying myself at the hacienda.  During my entire visit my mind was on that river, how it got to be that way, how it can be fixed.

Atoyac river, the milky grey color is from pollution. I wish smell-o-vision existed. 

After spending nearly my entire collegiate life studying biology and then later dedicating to environmental science I had only read about the level of pollution experienced here. We studied numerous case studies of extremely polluted rivers and lakes that caused protests and uprisings across the globe. They were almost always success stories, resulting in lawsuits, government oversight, and later cleanup of the water resources. Years down the line you can study progress pictures as the landscape is restored to its pre-pollution levels and nature comes back to stay. We had to study these cases because, in my naivete, I assumed that those levels of pollution did not exist anymore in the world. We had moved past that. Companies simply don’t release raw industrial waste into rivers anymore. We have proven time and time again that not only is it morally wrong and unethical, it is dangerous to human health. There is a reason this river causes you to gag burning your nose and throat, it is full of volatile organic compounds that have been known cause cancer and damage your mucous membranes. This information is not new.

Yet, here we are, 2018 and there is a river full of raw industrial effluent flowing through farmlands, towns, and a city of 2.5 million people, Puebla Mexico. I do not need to go into a diatribe about the level of government corruption that must exist in all branches for this to have continued for so long.  You probably figured that out on your own. Corruption, lack of education and silencing anyone who speaks out is a recipe for complete disaster. The very worst part about all of this is that the water from the Atoyac river is used for farming and drinking. A public resource that people rely on for their livelihood is polluted beyond use, yet people have no other option.

Nearby town and farmland. 

I wish I could do something about this. I wish I could do anything at all. Scientists have been studying the Atoyac, calling on their government to do something, and yet we are still here.  If anything, I hope that it allows all of us to reflect on what we currently have. How lucky we are. People have been working in the United States for decades to protect our natural resources from blatant misuse like this. It took a river to catch on fire in Chicago before something happened but it was the catalyst that we needed to get going. This is a excellent opportunity to look around at the nearest creek, river or forest in your neighborhood and be thankful for how much work it took to protect it.  

The United States is at a point in our environmental protection that we are moving past pollution that we can see and smell, and entering into a world of trying to regulate unseen contamination. We can begin to question pollutants that seem severely less harmful than those in the Atoyac river. Looking at the Atoyac it is hard to understand why people are making such a fuss over carbon dioxide and fertilizer runoff. However, we are privileged that these are the problems we face and not the alternative.

Just because we have come this far and achieved so much does not mean we are finished.

Interested in the Atoyac river? More information below
Castresana et al: www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/3/267/pdf
http://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/waterandwaste/80-of-atoyac-river-pollution-comes-from-urban-areas-study
 

The reservoir circled on the map was listed as "devoid of wildlife". The only animal sightings in the area were rats.  

The Cost of Clean

I have been interested in our microbiome for a long time. It fascinates me that we have microorganisms living inside of us that we would soon die without. My interest is somewhat motivated by frequent upset stomach and a desire to learn more about it. Last year I took a microbiome test (from Ubiome) to determine what exactly was living inside my gut and how I rank compared to what is "healthy". My results were dismal. I scored in the lower 20% when it comes to biodiversity and I am lacking some specific organisms that are needed for a healthy digestive system.  I have since been on a journey researching ways to foster a healthy microbiome. What I have discovered is that as an American, it is incredibly hard to ingest living organisms. In fact, we are actively aiming to do just the opposite.

Open containers, un-refrigerated, food market Mexico City

My research into my diet started with the foods most associated with gut bacteria, fruits and veggies. The Ubiome website suggested that I start to take stock in how much fruits and vegetables I am eating and what sources they come from. It was suggested that I try to opt for unfrozen fruits or vegetables and eat varieties that are as fresh as possible. I get almost all of my fruit in the form of smoothies that I make at home, and a few seasonal varieties. I also get about 50% of my vegetables from frozen bagged veggies and 50% from leafy fresh greens. I track what food I eat with app about 3-4 times a week to make sure that I am eating a balanced diet. When it comes to diversity of foods, I fail that metric miserably. Aside from variety of foods, I set out to figure out ways to increase your gut bacteria diversity and possibly save my digestive system. 

Your gut microbiome develops between ages 0-2.5 and is determined by mode of birth, diet, sanitation, and exposure to antibiotics. After age 2.5 your gut microbiome changes only marginally.  The paper continues to describe that diet throughout your life will help create an environment to foster growth of beneficial bacteria. However, there is no mention of diet being a source of additional bacteria after age 2.5 when your microbiome is already established. In fact there is a lot of debate as to whether or not ingesting gut bacteria in the form of probiotics or probiotic foods has any affect at all. Unless you are on long term antibiotics or immunocompromised the jury is still out on probiotics. The largest changes you can make to your microbiome are by altering your diet to include foods that create a favorable environment in your gut. (For a full list see the source section.)

Cured Ham, Madrid, Spain

Since the environment of an infant plays such and important role in their gut microbiome, what bacteria we are exposed to as a baby is critical.  One of the biggest sources of bacteria to a child's diet is in food preparation. We are told by advertisements to sanitize our kitchen with antibacterial soaps, lysol, or bleach. More than 70% of American households have a dishwasher, which has shown to be more sanitizing than hand washing dishes.  This is in stark contrast to kitchens all over the world, especially in developing countries. This internet research led me to the "hygiene hypothesis" which states that children in developing countries are growing up way too clean. This cleanliness could be leading to an increase in allergies as the immune system is not able to correctly determine friend from foe. 

This year in the U.S., there was an E.coli outbreak on Romaine lettuce. The outbreak was traced back to Yuma Arizona, and entered the lettuce from the water in a nearby canal. All across the United States 210 people total were infected with the bacteria and 5 people died. This is the worst case scenario that we face when it comes to living bacteria in our food. The hygiene hypothesis has a lot of scientific research backing it, and is gaining momentum. However, when it comes to bacteria, we need to be able to find a happy balance between keeping enough of the good and avoiding the bad. Our gut depends on it. 

Sources for this post

Quigley, Eamonn M.M., Gut Bacteria in Health and Disease: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983973/
List of beneficial foods: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/
Yatsunenko, Tanya, Human gut microbiome viewed across age and geography :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3376388/
The Hygiene Hypothesis: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/02/23/387553285/kids-allergies-and-a-possible-downside-to-squeaky-clean-dishes

The Zebra Mussels are Here...

To tell the story of zebra mussels in Texas is to tell the story of invasive species all over the world. Before recreational boating was affordable and common, species had to be transported across the ocean in shipping vessels. These species usually only took up residence in areas that had international ports. The idea that an unwanted species could take root in a new place was relatively unknown. This was especially hard to understand because botanists were trying to grow various desirable species for agriculture and having a really hard time of it. It is often the small overlooked species that end up doing the most damage.

Native to Southern Russia and Ukraine, the zebra mussel is perhaps the most well known invasive species in the United States. It has just this past year entered into Central Texas waterways and is making its way south towards our most beloved Barton Springs. After its emergence in Lake Travis in 2017, the population has exploded lining the shore of the lake and increasing visibility in the water. Texas Parks and wildlife is scrambling to get the word out to boaters to be extremely careful about drying and draining boats (including kayaks) before they move between waterways.

Humans are exceptionally good at making species go extinct, you could say it is one of our most practiced skills.  It should be pretty easy for us to control these invaders, but we have yet to come up with any really effective ideas.  Some progress has been made on the invasive Lionfish by beginning to serve them in local Florida restaurants. Unfortunately, zebra mussels are very small and they are not recommended for eating.  In their native habitat these mussels have around 70 local species of predators ranging from birds to crustaceans. Here in the United States, scientists have observed only a handful of organisms willing to eat the mussels, none have yet to prove they can control the population.

It feels as if we are on the very edge of a population explosion. We don’t yet know the extent of devastation the zebra mussels could have on the delicate Barton Springs habitat.  We do know that it will not be good for any organisms involved. Imagine the edges of Barton pool lined with mussels, pushing out native species. The floor of Barton creek full of dead and decaying plant matter, suffering from lack of nutrients.  It is a fate that is nearly imminent, we can only do our best to hold it off for now.

Sources for this post

When they arrived to Texas https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/explosion-in-zebra-mussel-population-worries-lake-travis-divers/1163637643

Lionfish tacos: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/recipes/87505711-132.html

Local predators: https://wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/resources/inhsreports/nov-dec98/aidebar/

The sound of summer.

The most memorable sound of summer is not that Journey album that you had to stop playing because cars don’t have tape decks anymore. It is the rhythmic and soothing sound of the cicada. If you live in a place where you don’t hear cicadas in the summer, you probably don’t have enough exposed soil or trees around you and you need to move. Located all over the United States these insects spend most of their life underground as a grub (nymph phase) and emerge to serenade us (rather lady cicadas) and mate. You have probably heard of the species (Magicicadas) that spend a whopping 17 years underground before gracing us land lubbers with their song. However, there are numerous other species that live only one year and then emerge.

Tibicen superbus Wikimedia commons

They appear in large numbers and seem to swarm the forest or neighborhood all at once. Sometime in May when the weather is just getting warm, before the humidity hits, the cicadas emerge and sing their first song. The first night may be slightly quieter than normal as they are all still growing their wings and drying out. However, as the weeks continue the sounds grow louder each night. Something happens, unknowingly, that time of year. Our thoughts turn to ice cream, poolside bbq’s, and shorts. The days stretch in length and it seems we are given the gift of more time. That sound to me meant an extra hour of biking afterschool and more time spend shoeless in the backyard.  Now it means much of the same, hot days and warm nights.

Texas sees a few species of cicadas but the most common one is the Tibicen superbus. If you catch one on the ground their beautiful green color is noticeable against the brown soil.

sources

http://www.cicadamania.com/where.html

How do we measure value?

There is a piece of land in Corpus Christi which hides a secret. It is perhaps one of the only places in in town where you can enjoy nature in its raw form, untouched for 8 years. It is a contentious piece of land that has for the past few years been under a constant battle for development. It will be developed, not now, but soon in the future. Land of that size and value does not go unnoticed. It was only a matter of time before it was sold, divided, and constructed. I am not here to choose sides in this argument, I don't live there anymore. Think of this article as a eulogy or a time capsule of my experience, a way to say goodbye.

The piece of land in question is the Pharaoh Valley Golf course. To get an idea as to why I became so attracted to this place, you have to first understand the other available options for natural beauty in Corpus Christi. During my 2 year stay in town, I visited nearly every park listed on google maps. Each one seemed to be designed specifically for one thing, to check a box marked “park”. They had everything a park needs, trash bins, grass, a tree or two. Maybe they even had a playground, baking in the sun uncovered. Some with soccer goals or baseball fields, most often unused. The one thing each park lacked was nature. It was the absence of nature in general which was their most striking feature. The two locations which had the most potential to fill this absence were the Oso Creek trails and Suter Wildlife Refuge. Both were so close to achieving their goal yet fell short.

Oso Creek trail is not open to 4x4 traffic yet is completely devastated with ruts and erosion from over use of motorized vehicles. While walking I noticed ruts so deep they came up to your knees. We even saw people on 4 wheelers drive past a clearly marked “no vehicle” sign. The second option, Suter wildlife refuge, is an amazing contrast to the rest of the Oso bay coastline. Housing developments along Oso bay extend as close as possible to the water’s edge. In some cases even walking would be challenging, as porches are nearly touching the bay. Suter refuge is a beautiful oasis along the water. Old growth native plants provide habitat for butterflies and birds. The beach is nearly untouched and an excellent sight to see. However, it is tiny, and mostly inaccessible to the public. This is not inherently a bad thing, but when it comes to availability of nature to the people, it falls short.

This leads me finally to Pharoah Valley. I found it, like I find most parks, looking in satellite view on google maps. It was unlabeled and listed as closed, but it looked interesting and I thought it would be worth a visit. As I entered the golf course for the first time I was immediately taken back by its size and beauty. It was enormous, over grown and natural. You could clearly see where nature began to take over the features that define a golf course. The quantity and variety of birds present in the park was startling. On each visit I seemed to uncover more species than the last. The man made water features were suddenly left to their own devices and returned to a somewhat marshy habitat. Ducks of all kinds took up residence in the ponds. It was an oasis in the center of a city.

For the better part of 2 years I walked in the golf course nearly every weekend. On many occasions I was alone, rarely seeing more than one person at a time on my visits. The area was quiet, and left me with a sense of calm. As a wildlife refuge the golf course could check every box. Accessibility to nature, ability for recreation, wildlife habitat. However, it lacks one thing, wildlife habitats don’t make money. They never have and never will. Their value is non-monetary. Yes some value can be measured in the value of the property around it. People will pay high prices to live in quiet near natural beauty. But the land itself loses value when left untouched. The value of untouched land is in the impression it leaves on the people who use it.

In Memphis TN a railroad was closed and turned into a bike lane called the greenbelt. It was a very contentious issue. The money came from a private donor, there were legal hiccups and property owners who didn’t want it going through their backyard. People argued that robberies would increase and the neighborhood would suddenly fall to crime. None of this happened. What did happen is suddenly a community which rarely interacted with each other, began to build relationships. People who had nowhere to ride a bike, suddenly had a place. People began to go outside and enjoy the natural beauty that the trail provided. Nature education classes sprung up in neighborhoods that never had them before. If you asked the people now how they feel about the trail, I would argue that 9/10 would say the greenbelt had a positive impact on their life. The greenbelt is free and makes no money from its use.

This is the value of natural places.

All views and opinions are my own. All photos were taken by me. 

Man-made Wetlands are the Bees Knees

People decided around the pioneer times that wetlands were wasted space and good for nothing else besides being drained and used for agriculture (1). They supposedly posed a health risk by harboring mosquitoes, and were difficult to navigate through (1).  In 1846 one of the first major wetlands altering projects began in Horicon Wisconsin. The town needed a sawmill and decided to dam a river leading out of the "Great Marsh of the Winnebagos". Over time the dam caused the water level to rise in the marsh and it turned slowly into a lake. At first this was a welcome reprieve and residents used the lake for recreational activities. However, landowners sued the sawmill in 1869 after a flood, and won. The dam was removed and water drained freely once again. The townspeople, now suddenly without a lake, sat around debating what to do with the recently drained land. As they debated, something interesting was happening in the marsh. Birds that had previously passed over the lake suddenly started landing there and staying. Ducks began to migrate through the marsh and started nesting. A few years after the dam removal, duck hunters began reporting 500,000 ducks hatching each spring and flocks of geese covering the sky (2).  Something that originally had no value now was important to a large group of people. The land was later acquired by the state and is now a wildlife refuge. Wetlands conservation has been the cornerstone of game bird protection, and vice versa.  However, it has not been until recently that cities are catching on and realizing their use for flood prevention.

In an effort to reduce flash flooding, cities build rainwater swales that collect water during high rain events. These swales have a porous bottom that allows the water to re-enter the ground slowly over the next few days time. Most of the swales are often bare looking, just a grassy bowl on the side of the road. However, taking it one step further, wetland swales can be created to solve a variety of problems. Manufactured wetlands are a huge gigantic step in the right direction for wetlands conservation. They can attempt to bring back some of the benefits of natural wetlands, as well as provide recreational opportunities.  

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Houston is uniquely located in a low lying bayou/ marsh ecosystem and has dramatically changed the landscape with urbanization. It comes as no surprise that it regularly suffers flooding events on a large scale, even in the absence of hurricanes. A notable wetland restoration project in Houston is the Sheldon Prairie (4). Filled in for agriculture use, Sheldon prairie was excavated following some historical records and allowed to fill in with water. Native plants were planted by students and volunteers from TAMU and local schools. The project was finished in 2009 and now is an excellent wetland habitat.

Image of Sheldon Prairie progress, (4)

With some grant money flowing in from the gulf oil spill only time will tell if more wetland restoration projects get funded. Luckily it seems that the policy of draining or filling wetlands has slowed or ceased in some areas. The US has operated on a “no net loss” policy of wetlands implemented by George HW Bush in 1988 (5). This policy has been in effect and maintained by every president since and acts as a barrier for farmers and developers when draining wetlands. Even with this policy in place, lack of enforcement and encroachment of development has led to a slow decline in wetlands between 2004 and 2009 (6). The biggest threat to wetlands seems to be climate change, which has damaged coastal wetlands the most (6). If we learned anything from the Horicon Marsh story it is that wetlands must be measurably valuable to people in some way. In cities they are not just habitats for birds, they exist for flood prevention and water purification. Maybe it’s time to beef up this policy to a “net gain” and reclaim some of the 100 million acres that have been lost.

Sources for this post

1. Dahl, T.E., and Johnson, C.E., 1991,Wetlands--Status and trends in the conterminous United States, mid-1970's to mid-1980's: Washington, D.C., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 22 p.

2.The History of Wetlands, USGS https://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/history.html

3. Why are Wetlands important, EPA https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/why-are-wetlands-important

4. Sheldon Prairie Restoration Project https://tcwp.tamu.edu/wetland-restoration/sheldon-lake-prairie-wetland-restoration-project/

5. No net loss regulations https://www.law.ufl.edu/_pdf/academics/centers-clinics/clinics/conservation/resources/no_net_loss.pdf

6. Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 2004-2009 https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/documents/Status-and-Trends-of-Wetlands-in-the-Conterminous-United-States-2004-to-2009.pdf

Leave No Trace

If you have not read Planet or Plastic by writer Laura Parker and photographer Randy Olsen you need to get off your bum and go get a copy. The striking images will leave a lasting effect on you and make you contemplate your role as a trash producing killer of the ocean. Something that stuck out to me was one line in the article “there are no ocean trash deniers so far”. While climate change continues to be a constant battle of, is it real vs is it fake, ocean trash so far has undeniably been held up as an accepted and terrible problem.

On a very interesting infographic map within the article, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from various rivers all over the world is depicted. To my surprise rivers in the USA were not major contributors of plastic to the ocean. I am sure American readers are all breathing a sigh of relief, and patting themselves on the back for a job well done. Hang on there just a minute, put down your 3.99 bottle of Dasani and tiny pre-made grocery store salad. The USA recycles a measly 10% of all plastic trash (1) produced. Just because we aren’t dumping it into a river doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be a huge environmental problem. In 2016 the US sent 16 million tons of waste to china to be processed, a program that has since been discontinued (2). So yes, we are responsible for some of that trash entering the ocean from rivers in Asia, let that marinate.

Creating change in plastic use and recycling is where major strides can be made in the waste-pocylapse that is headed our way. We have little control over companies that continue to produce plastic packaging that is impossible to recycle, or not accepted by your cities’ waste management system. However, we do have control over ourselves and influence in our community.

Upon entering into my current field of employment I was startled to find that the high school I work at still uses Styrofoam cafeteria trays. Many of these trays go directly into the trash unsoiled, having a usage lifespan of mere seconds. There are recycling bins located all over the school but the waste will often not make it to the recycling dumpster and instead is put in the landfill bin. The school gets penalized (custodians bear the brunt of it) if non-recyclable trash gets put into recycling. To avoid backlash custodians will often throw out whole bags. So the question remains, how do you get 3000 teenagers to recycle better? My recent visit to an elementary school opened my eyes to how different schools can approach this problem. While elementary school kids recycle simply for the sheer joy of a high five or praise from an adult, teenagers will often do exactly the opposite just to get a reaction. Some tend to show apathy for anything you care about just for the sake of rebelling.    

Cover of the June issue of National Geographic Magazine. 

On a more fundamental note, how do we get people to increase their participation in the three R’s? All it takes is one look at the greenbelt in mid-summer, or a beach in Texas after a holiday weekend and you are left scratching your head as to who the heck would cause such a mess. Cleanliness of residents is often a cultural shift and requires a lot of political support both locally and statewide. It has to be a priority for the city and residents (3,4). The Texas supreme court has recently made it quite clear that it is not going to take the necessary steps to reduce waste and has made it illegal for any city to ban packaging, including bags(5). It will take an election and a creation of a new state law for this to be reversed.  

Sources for this post

#1 EPA plastic facts, https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/advancing-sustainable-materials-management

#2 Mosbergen, Dominique, China no longer wants your trash, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/china-recycling-waste-ban_us_5a684285e4b0dc592a0dd7b9

#3 McCarthy, Niall, America’s cleanest cities, https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/09/06/americas-cleanest-cities-infographic/#10a96ff0698e

#4 Leber, Jessica, 4 cities that are getting rid of all their garbage, https://www.fastcompany.com/3046428/4-cities-that-are-getting-rid-of-all-of-their-garbage

#5 Knight, Drew, Austin plastic bag ban sacked, https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-plastic-bag-ban-sacked-following-texas-supreme-court-ruling/269-570420457

The two fears we face sleeping outside.

I first experienced camping at a very young age. I was also one of those kids who was sent away to sleep away camp for a week or so in the summer. As a result it is hard for me to remember my very first camping experience because the memories are all mixed together. One of the oldest memories I have is waking up at night to tiptoe off to the bathroom and being confronted with the darkest darkness that only the wilderness can provide. Living in the city, I was not aware that night time could be so dark. It felt suffocating and frightening almost as if you were going blind. I remember being frozen on the steps of the cabin trying to force my mind to make a decision, to step forward or go back into safety. That early experience with darkness in a way removed my fear of the dark. Any further experiences really paled in comparison. This fear of the dark can be seen at any campsite or group camping experience. People have the impression that if they can’t see then something has the possibility to sneak up on them or attack them in the night. Hundreds of horror movies have helped this belief grow, and in a way are one reason that I shy away from them. This fear ties in nicely to the second fear experienced while camping and that is silence.

We live in a noisy busy world. Take a moment to listen to the sounds around you, refrigerator, cars, air conditioner, maybe a cat or a dog.  We listen to these sounds so much that we no longer hear them, however, we do hear an absence of sound. The first night in the woods can seem like landing on another planet. The first thing you notice is how much noise isn’t present. Depending on the season there might be insect sounds but in the fall or winter you may be faced with total and complete silence. Any noise that you do hear suddenly becomes incredibly loud and instantly dangerous. You enter a constant state of fight or flight and have trouble simply relaxing or sleeping.

It is for these two reasons that people tend to dislike camping in general. Having experienced many friendships both making and breaking on these trips, camping tends to expose fears we weren’t aware we had. It can be vulnerable and embarrassing to express these fears around people whose opinion you care about. Instead of facing these fears or abandoning camping all together, people have begun to shape their campsite to dispel their discomfort. People bring large bright lights to shine into the sky pushing back the darkness. They turn up the stereo to their favorite song, to avoid hearing a possible approaching monster. All the while pushing away an experience they could grow and learn from. The stars are not visible from your campsite under a 100 watt bulb and you can’t hear owls call to each other behind a stereo.

The photo on the far right is the moon, while the two left photos are RV lights. 

The good thing is, you can absolutely have both. You can listen to music, hangout under a light and experience nature, just not at the same time. Most campsites have a 10pm curfew which calls for lights and sounds to be out past that time. A good camp host can also help you ease nicely into enjoying the wilderness. The host will drive around introducing themselves setting to bed some fears that we are completely alone out here.  The best thing to do is take a deep breath, face your fear, and turn out that light.

How do hummingbirds survive the Texas summer?

On a few of my recent hikes I have experienced a few fly byes from some resident hummingbirds. (cue Top Gun music and sunset scene) I decided to install a feeder on my patio and have been pleasantly surprised with the traffic. However, the more I think about it the more I become increasingly anxious for these little guys. What on earth are they doing here in the dry Texas summer? With no obvious flowering plants around, I can’t seem to figure out what they are eating in midsummer. Insert photo disclaimer-Since I am not a professional national geographic wildlife photographer with a $3000 camera I will be using photos that are available for use from open sources online. 

My photoshop skills are unmatched, hummingbird photo from naturespicsonline.com liscensed for open use. 

The most common hummingbirds you will probably see in Texas are the buff bellied hummingbird. The males sport a beautiful green collar and the females are characteristically brown and grey. This species is a native breeder but becomes less common in the winter as they head for fairer weather. Another common visitor is a Mexican native that heads north, the Broad Billed hummingbird. The males are really beautiful and I have had at least one come visit my feeder so far.

Hummingbirds migrate to or through Texas in spring and summer. They time their flight path to coincide with blooming of their favorite flowers. While most birders out there know that south Texas and the Texas gulf coast are hot spots for migration, you can see numerous species in central Texas all summer. Their migration is really a feat of endurance and biological evolution. A fully active hummingbird will have to feed every 10 minutes to sustain their metabolism. Surprisingly hummingbirds also eat tiny insects to gain fat and protein in their diet.

What flowers are available to the hummers in June- July? According to an event hosted by TPWD, the Texas humming bird roundup, flowers in the genus Salvia top the list as the most popular food item. With numerous species to choose from, these plants are well adapted to the heat and will produce blooms at various times of the year. So if you are thinking to attract some more tiny winged visitors, throw up a feeder and plant your favorite Salvia.

Salvia from wikimedia commons

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Salvia_farinacea_0.2_R.jpg/512px-Salvia_farinacea_0.2_R.jpg

Sources from this post

Johnson, Sybelle, Hummingbirds found in Texas, https://www.beautyofbirds.com/hummingbirdstexas.html

Hummingbirds, https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/introducing_birds/hummingbirds/

Simnacher, Betsy “Looking to attract hummingbirds to your garden?” https://www.dallasnews.com/life/life/2013/08/14/looking-to-attract-hummingbirds-to-your-garden-try-planting-these-five-flowers

By the way how F****d up is it that TPWD doesn't give the author credit for writing their terrible hummingbird article? I mean it was really bad, maybe they didn't want to put their name on it. 

Pet Waste on the Greenbelt

As traffic on the Austin greenbelt increases year after year (1), locals and visitors are left wondering what to do about the trash left behind. Residents living near the greenbelt have reached out to the local news stations in the past year about the trash (2,3) but results from this media spotlight are uncertain. Besides physical trash, humans and pets leave other types of waste on the trails, I set out to explore how or if our chemical waste is having an effect on the water of Barton creek.

We have been there, all day drinking at the greenbelt, the sun is high in the sky and there is no bathroom in sight. You head to the water and quietly relieve yourself hoping no one will notice. Or worse, that 8am Rudy’s breakfast taco is hitting a little too hard and you aren’t going to make it back to the car, so you head for the woods for a quiet spot to contemplate becoming vegetarian. (Though I have heard that they also have rockstar poops) Let’s say you also brought your dog along, and they need to relieve themselves as well. You hiked more than a mile to get to this swimming hole, are you going to carry a dog poo all the way back? Austin has a “scoop the poop” education program and a city ordinance against leaving poop.  Upon our visit we witnessed 16 un-scooped poops directly on the trail, 8 were already bagged and 8 were not. Why am I even writing about 16 poops on more than a mile hike one way? This was a surprisingly high amount of waste for a very low traffic time, the water level is extremely low and it was a weekday. Secondly, most of the poops were within the first 1000ft of trail, the closest you will ever be to a trash can on the whole hike. The bagged poops were often lower down the trail, assuming people meant to come back and get it and forgot.  Let’s dive into some of the city water data to further explore.

The first question on everyone’s mind is “Is there really poop in the greenbelt water” The answer to that is yes, there is E.coli bacteria in the greenbelt water. The real question you should be asking is how much is there? E.coli is measured in surface water as MPN/100ml or Most Probable Number per 100 milliliters(5). The TCEQ (Texas Commission on environmental quality) allowable E.coli for swimming is 126 MPN/100ml(4,5,6).  So what does that mean for greenbelt water? Well Last year in July, the heat of the summer, the MPN for Barton creek upstream of Barton pool was 104 MPN/100ml(7). Throughout the year it varies from a very low of 24 MPN/100ml (winter and early spring), to the max of 104 measured in July(7). Not surprisingly the measurement in July 2017 further upstream, of the most popular swim spots, at Lost Creek Blvd was 73 MPN/100ml(7). The measurement is below the TCEQ recommended limits at the time of testing, and the bacteria levels are higher downstream of popular swimming areas. The water is safe to swim in, but no one out there is recommending that you drink it.

What are the impacts of human/pet waste in the water? Just because the bacteria levels are below recommended amounts does not mean that the waste is having no effect. Feces and urine are converted into nutrients that are recycled for plants to use. When the levels of nutrients are high, the levels of plant growth will also be high. This most commonly manifests itself in algal blooms in both freshwater and saltwater(8,9). As the algae die they use up oxygen and long term this can cause oxygen depletion for the fish and other freshwater organisms that use the water. 

Dogs are required to be on-leash in public parks unless it is designated as an off leash area. One of the main reasons for this is that you are more likely to see your dog poop if it is right next to you rather than up in the woods chasing a squirrel. The greenbelt has become a unofficial off leash area, do you think it should remain that way?

Sources for this post

1. Protecting our Natural Resources, 2015, Austin Tx, Gov,  http://www.austintexas.gov/blog/protecting-our-natural-resources  :Accessed 6/18/18
2. McGivern, Kylie, 2017 Trash Piling up on Barton Creek Greenbelt,  https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/trash-piles-up-on-barton-creek-greenbelt/994768060  :Accessed 6/18/18
3. LeBlanc, Pam, 2018, People are trashing the greenbelt again http://fitness.blog.austin360.com/2018/03/12/people-are-trashing-the-greenbelt-again-and-reddit-users-are-angry/ :Accessed 6/19/18
4. Bacteria in Surface Water, Quality Standards, TAMU http://twri.tamu.edu/docs/education/2012/em114.pdf  :Accessed 6/19/18
5. What is a MPN versus CFU, http://www.cascadeanalytical.com/resources-downloads/faqs
6. Three total maximum daily loads for indicator bacteria, 2012 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/waterquality/tmdl/85carters/85-CartersCreekTMDL-Adopted.pdf   :Accessed 6/19/18
7. City of Austin public water quality data, Updated 2018, https://data.austintexas.gov/Environment/barton_creek_greenbelt_2016_to_2018/mwqh-227b
8. Big, Green and Rough, Cladaphora Algae Blooms, 2015, http://www.austintexas.gov/blog/big-green-and-rough-cladaphora-algae-blooms-austin-creeks  Accessed 6/20/18
10. Scoop the poop program, http://www.austintexas.gov/department/scoop-the-poop

Stephenson Nature Preserve

Located in South Austin, one side of the preserve borders William Cannon just east of Brodie. If you are attempting to enter from William Cannon you will rapidly find out that there is no easy way to get into the nature preserve. The main entrance is inside Longview Neighborhood Park (to the south of William Cannon) and therefore that side of the preserve gets considerably more traffic.

If you enter the preserve through the north side (as I did) you might possibly be the only person there. There is a lot of obvious animal activity in the area. A woodpecker made an appearance and two humming birds rushed by in a hurry. Cardinals were most present on my visit and each turn I took in the woods there seemed to be one fluttering by to get a look at me. There is evidence of deer in the area, and it is not uncommon for one to be seen either in the preserve or dead on the road. The meadows have appeared to recover from motorcycle traffic but it is obvious that there was some recent flooding.

Previously the preserve was open to both mountain biking and motorcycling which caused excessive erosion of the trails. Makeshift jumps were created in the meadows and at one time all resemblance of grass and wildflowers were nowhere to be seen. Currently the preserve is closed to all wheeled traffic and has since recovered remarkably in just a couple of years. Your opinion on the preserve however, may be determined by which side of it you live on.

Residents on the south side have easy access to the trails, all of which seem to be well managed. This side is also home to some local artists who have decorated the trails with metal and wood sculptures. Residents in this neighborhood undertook a daunting task this year of protecting the preserve from re-zoning. Code-Next is underway in the city of Austin and the preserve was due to be rezoned as PUD (planned unit development) instead of a city park. This means that there was a teeny tiny loophole that some administration in the future could build public housing, a school or recreation area on the land. It would have been up to the residents to constantly be vigilant to fight any future developments. Luckily they won their battle and it will be re-zoned as a park instead.

If you live on the north side of the preserve your view is starkly different. The very busy William Cannon has no crosswalks. Residents who live on the opposite side of the street must walk a huge distance to the nearest light to safely cross, or jaywalk over 4 lanes of rush hour traffic. Once you make it to the other side, you may be greeted with turned over shopping carts, trash, and overgrown grass. There is no sign to let you know that the land is open to the public, and no trail markers for entry. The easiest entrance is at the front of Jubilee church, but it is not visible from the street.

The land just adjacent to the Jubilee church on William Cannon is due to be sold.   After contacting the realtor, the land is about 9 acres and is going for around 2.5 million dollars. It is still on the market but there are a few interested buyers. At the moment she did not know what the planned development will be but that it would be "low intensity" due to its location near the park. Part of me is excited that if housing is built, more residents on the north side will see the value of the land and use it. Part of me is skeptical that more residents is really what a preserve needs. The future designation of a park instead of a nature preserve means that (hopefully) more funds will be available for maintenance and repair. 

Whichever side you choose to enter the preserve you will find a relaxing and enjoyable hike. Many thanks to the neighbors who helped keep this preserve protected. As development moves forward on the north side of the preserve lets hope that park use will be one of the major factors in its design. 

Sources for this post

Neely, Christopher "The fate of Stephenson Nature Preserve", 2017, Community Impact, https://bit.ly/2JIgrAK : Accessed Jun 16 2018
Funari, Keely "Stephenson Nature Preserve is here to stay", 2017, Medium, https://bit.ly/2lbMA53 : Accessed Jun 15 2018
Austin Explorer, trail guide, https://bit.ly/2yeAtNO
Code Next, https://www.austintexas.gov/codenext

Davy Crockett National Forest

I am honestly having trouble putting into words my experience at the national forest. This was my first time visiting and I also went alone. When I told people I was going alone I got mixed responses but most were in the range of “that’s dangerous”. Even my husband was skeptical as to why I needed or wanted to go alone. He responded “why don’t you wait for a weekend so I can go with you”. Going by myself was a big step for me as this would be my first solo hike. I wouldn’t be spending the night, but I would be driving and hiking alone.

The first thing you notice when you turn into the national forest is that the number of people dramatically drops to near zero. I did go on a weekday which was probably responsible for the low turnout, but during my entire visit to the 251 square mile forest I saw only 2 other people. The forest is very old and tall, the trees tower over you in a way that only old growth can. I instantly felt the urge to roll down my windows as I drove on the park road, and I was rewarded with a rich woody humid smell. As I parked and turned off my car the silence hit me. A deafening crowding silence. No cars, electrical hums, machinery, nothing. This complete silence was hard to take in and for the first 30 minutes of my visit my heart rate and blood pressure felt abnormally high. I felt the need to return to the safety of my car. Full disclosure, I did bring my dog along, but at that moment she did not bring me any real comfort.

I entered the trail at Ratcliff park which, based on information at the empty visitors center, was a tourist destination for summer. As I began to walk I started thinking about all of the things that could kill me. Every horror movie, camping disaster, and CSI episode began racing through my head. “Hiker dies in woods and isn’t found for days”, they would say “why did she hike alone, so irresponsible”.  The fear was very real and made my progress on the first mile very slow. To make matters worse I scared quite a few napping deer who found the brush near the trail a nice place to rest for the mid morning. I would turn a corner and be met face to face with a leaping frightened deer as it bucks and jumps away from me into the woods. Needless to say I was on edge.

Two miles into the trail I began to calm down, the silence was replaced with a quiet buzz of animal activity, and the forest began to feel familiar. I was able to begin to appreciate the nature around me and take it in. I started feeling excitement and enjoyment of looking, listening and smelling. There was almost too much to look at and I needed to see all of it. At the halfway point I pitched my hammock and ate lunch. I took a moment to close my eyes and be still, to feel the soft breeze and hear the sounds of the forest. It almost seems to be breathing in and out with each passing gust of wind. In-between each breath you hear birds, insects and small animals going about their day.

The return trip always feels quicker than the initial one. I was no longer walking with fear but a slight confidence that I knew not only where I was but I was happy to be there. I was almost disappointed to arrive back at my car so soon and I began to look for excuses to stay just 10 more minutes. I am incredibly happy I challenged myself to solo hike. Maybe it was the fact that I was alone which made it more impactful, the lack of conversation and distraction allowed me to see more than I normally would have. Either way I left with a new found experience and love for nature.