Spring-Part One: Cedar Beach Gardens (Major Contrasts)

I must confess the difficulty which this post gave me.  At present, the season of spring has begun to unleash itself across the parks in Allentown and in a short time, spring will become summer.  Before that happens though, we are in for a beautiful ride.

Thing is, there are some serious environmental hazards occurring down at Cedar Beach right now.  We have discussed the paving already, and we know it isn’t good.  There is more going on.

First, the “silt fence” has been breached by water.  The breach occurred two weeks ago during a high water event that fell short of an all out flood.

Deep ruts in the wet soil and barren patches of grass have developed along the “silt fence”.  I hope that given the proclivity of high water events in this area, that a now mow zone is implemented from the buffer’s edge (the present location of the “silt fence”) to the edge of the paved path by the mirror ponds.  It is a common sense decision and will provide increased habitat for an already developing wildlife population.

A pile of gravel and excess construction materials lies right next to the drainage stream from the mirror ponds.  This is in direct violation of all kinds of environmental guidelines including the DCNR’s and the LCCD’s.

The dried remains of sediment in run off are present on the new asphalt paths.

So, you must now see my dilemma because at the same moment in time when such problems exist the massive renewal and birth of spring is occurring.  The entirety of nature becomes picturesque, and everything feels familiar again.  The voice of the new season sounds in an ear like a memory refreshed; it is a conversation you’d always knew you would have again but waited for it impatiently through the long cold months.

As the season deepens, every step outside feels closer to home. 

An endless serenade of change, of beginnings, of the moment a chest tightens when it becomes too full of breath and then, the chest relaxes as it heaves carbon dioxide from your body.

Relief.

Check out the video below, it is the first in a series I will be doing highlighting spring as it matures in the coming weeks.  There are some good pictures of birds in the video, thanks new camera.