Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 10:35:34 EDT From: Biodan@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1058$foo@default> Subject: re: CPs on the roadside
Steven,
Yes, roadside and medians are popular places to plant wildflowers. It it
definitely refreshing to drive down a highway and come upon large patches of
color. However, first we must realize that these are not transplanted per
se, but seeded. Second, not all of the species are native to the region in
which they are planted, but are North American natives. I wonder if the
non-regional-natives would spread into nearby ecosystems replacing already
pressured natives? Third, for safety reasons (or probably to give convicts
and DUIs a job), roadsides are periodically mowed, hacked or otherwise
'manicured'. Usually mowing is done to the wildflower patches only in the
fall after the flowering is done. Perhaps someone could contact the DOT to
see if they could follow similar procedures with the extant CP patches? (Or
you could make some official-looking DO NOT MOW signs and surreptitiously
place them along the CP patches!) :-)
Fouth, and most important, the wildflowers seem to be somewhat tolerant
of the myriads of pollutants inherent along highways - oil, gasoline, other
toxic fluids, bits of rubber and such from tires, gaseous pollutants, and
salts and other ice-melting chemicals. I wonder how tolerant CPs would be of
these environmental horrors? I've seen nice patches of CPs (primarily S.
flava, S. psitticina, and Drosera) alongside roads in Fla and Ga, but I
wonder if anyone has done any kind of study to see how they're holding up
amid roadside pollutants.
Anyway, the rescuing of plants from habitats slated for destruction is a
good thing - and not just for CPs. Various conservation and/or service
organizations could undertake this endeavor (Boy Scouts, school groups,
garden clubs, etc.). Instead of selling them over eBay or something similar,
they could donate them to neighborhoods, individuals, schools,
environmentally-friendly businesses and such for their landscaping or
something. By the way, a little activism might prevent such destruction. By
using the 'power' of the Endangered Species Act, such developments could be
stopped altogether!!! Now wouldn't that be nice.
Dan
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