Before / After. I was there Thursday and walked by dozens of common milkweed still flowering and forming seeds pods, hemp dogbane buzzing with bees, goldenrod just showing some yellow about to flower, as well as asters, various grasses and more. Dragonflies, fireflies, grasshoppers etc everywhere. This meadow is also known to support woodcocks, kestrels, bluebirds and more.
Now it looks like this. I was told it was so they could better access the chimney swift box to finish siding/painting and have parking spots to host an educational walk and talk.
I'm devastated and am not sure I can still be part of this organization.
by Nikeflies
25 Comments
… what the actual f*ck? Like who authorized that? Do they think the swifts are going to live there without anything to eat? Somebody needs to be ousted from the board!
Write a formal letter to the board asking for a review of mowing procedures. Explain your concerns about the destruction of bird habitat. Perhaps consult a local university or other credible land manager for mowing best practices.
Mowing occasionally is good for a meadow. Timing is tricky as hell
Mowing is probably the least harmful thing they could do to that meadow. It will be fine and will be back before you know it. It also looks like some woody material was beginning to build up so it may be plainly beneficial as well.
Good god. I’m so sorry. You must be furious!!!
Literally mow a path is all that needed. Just wow
It’s crazy that they didn’t just mow a path to it. Also I agree with the person who said the mowing might be beneficial since there are some woody shrubs developing, but I think the timing is all wrong.
Some form of disturbance was going to have to happen for it to stay a meadow and not continue on to woody pants. A controlled burn is ideal in most places, and that’s what I would push for. Grazing can work too, but it’s complicated, and sometimes more harmful than mowing. With mowing, it might have been better to do it a bit at a time, mowing about 25-30% per incidence of mowing. You can definitely ask them to use more sustainable practices like these.
But ultimately, you will need to manage a meadow for it to stay a meadow
I am tired of it, too. I am just a few steps away from getting criminal and actually fight those turds when the kill everything just because it is more convenient for them with their shitty machines
Start documenting plant, insect and animal spieces in the area. Get the land protected.
To get access to a chimney swift box …… a species that aggressively feeds on flying insects that rely on native foliage.
Chaotic priorities.
That’s about the dumbest shit I’ve heard.
So sad.
“and have parking spots to host an educational walk and talk” sounds like it’s really key here.
Do these birds walk on two legs to the birdhouse wtf?
Get on the board or on the committee that manages this type of thing. Am on a local land trust board and it’s like pulling teeth to get board members so it may not be too difficult to do, depending on the size/scale of your land trust.
Sounds like you need to communicate with them and get them on your side.
Holy Crap!
I saw the 1st photo and thought you were overreacting to the path . . . then I clicked.
Swifts need to eat, they just mowed down their pantry.
How much land do they manage themselves?
I ask because my local land trust employs at least one full-time wildlife biologist to manage the lands they own; she and others also provide land management services to private landowners.
Managing (preventing) succession is an important part of maintaining a meadow over time. There are resources out there on the use of fire and mowing and their timing; mid-summer isn’t on the list of optimal times to mow.
Does this trust have a particular focus on birds, or are they seen as a particular draw for supporters? I’m still baffled by this choice; again, I’m accustomed to a focus on land as *habitat*—it’s a land trust, not a bird trust!
As for what you do, I think this is a voice or exit situation. If you feel like there is someone at the org who might be receptive to your concern, I’d reach out and see if you can help move the trust towards sounder practices.
This feels like maybe the land managers got pushed aside by some marketing/development types. It could be a one-off thing, or a larger issue with the organization.
Do you know any of the major donors or advisory board members? The development folks should be exquisitely attuned to them, and a big donor or two pointing out that their core mission was compromised by short-term “needs” might get their attention.
I work for the state and it’s a constant issue- we have signs up and inform operations but yet still gets mowed sometimes
Are they are threatened species in your area? Maybe some pressure the state dept of Environment/natural resources would prevent this from happening again. Habitat destruction of threatened species has to be some kind of illegal.
start throwing rocks everywhere
🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Wow. Just wow. That’s pretty sad, disheartening, demoralizing. I’d think the only saving grace is that most will probably regrow? Keep pushing forward. Fight the good fight.
Stand strong. This is a setback; take the time and space you need to keep going. As others have mentioned, not all is lost, there could be good reasons for what happened, there can be a path forward here. If you need to tap out, do it, but you’re likely the best possible person to stay involved and force people to do the right thing.
Take care of yourself, friend. You’re doing good work.
I understand that feeling of defeat. You’re still doing good work. Remember, nature finds a way.
Mow down everything to make parking to make parking for people to come see what’s gone? Depressing.