Guest Blog: Trail Surfaces by Camille Lore

When I attended a week long Department of the Interior Trail Construction and Management class, I learned that even the most rocky, rugged and steep section of the Appalachian Trail at Harper's Ferry could have been built to accommodate users with mobility challenges.  Trail construction and planning has certainly changed since the 1960s.

Yes, even this section of trail could be designed so it could be used by someone in a wheelchair.

Photo Credit-  Jefferson County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

A well planned trail demands forethought and careful site evaluation.  Today, the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia has obvious erosion and is not accessible to those who have mobility challenges.  Of course, when the trail was planned and laid in the early 1900s, there was no National Environmental Policy Act or permits for that matter.  There were no bobcats or mini-skids building the trail.

Today, trail layout and design needs to take a holistic approach to the site and its users. 

Initially, the trail planners need to consider:

· Who will be using the trail?

· What land features exist?

· What soil types are present?

· What sensitive environmental features are on site?

· When will the trail get most use?

All, trails constructed today should be designed so they are accessible to users who have mobility challenges.  With the specifications laid out in publications like the US Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines, a plethora of engineers and landscape architects, there is no reason for any trail to exclude those who are mobility challenged.  In the same vein, please don't think that users using mobility devices or child carriers want a perfectly smooth, pristine, boring trail either. 

The US Forest Service's standards direct that improved trail surfaces must be “firm and stable” to be considered accessible. 

“Firm” is defined as “not noticeably distorted or compressed by the passage of a device that simulates a trail user in a wheelchair. Surface firmness should be determined and documented during the planning process for the seasons for which a trail is managed, under normally occurring weather conditions.”

“Stable” is defined as “not permanently affected by normally occurring weather conditions and able to sustain normal wear and tear caused by the uses for which a trail is managed, between planned maintenance cycles.”  Their guidance continues to say that many materials including crushed stone, fines, packed soil and other natural materials can be used to provide   a suitable surface for trails. 

What is the setting of the trail?  Will the trail be over a wetland or forested area?  Is the setting more developed or less formal?  What is the capacity of the group providing management and maintenance of the trail? 

If the proposed trail is going in a small central park with simple vegetation and will only receive light use, is a 4 foot wide asphalt path really the right choice?  Is there a budget and staff ready to repair cracks and replace degraded sections of trail, or would something like a crushed limestone path that only needs to be rolled out once a year be more appropriate?  In terms of stormwater runoff coefficients, the two are nearly identical if there is no thought given to path shading and management of the velocity and quality of the runoff from the paths.  If managed with recessed planting beds, either choice could be managed to provide improved stormwater quality.

Is grass a trail surface?

Grass is approximately 11% pervious.  11% may be less than you thought.  However, grass will slow runoff and provide some mechanical filtration of particulates in stormwater.  Concrete will not provide the same benefit and will also lead to heated stormwater runoff.  Placed in the appropriate areas, grass certainly will adhere to the Forest Service's qualifications of “firm and stable” while providing additional benefits. 

Porous paving is working!

The myth that porous paving only works in areas where it is 70 degrees year round and salt isn't needed on sidewalks is just outdated information!  Porous paving is (and has been) working in the Philadelphia area for over 20 years.  If a municipality is insistent on hard asphalt paths, would it be appropriate to use porous paving and underground infiltration?  You bet.

Take a look at this demonstration of porous paving in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=848tZUL_rnI&feature=related

There are many options for trail surfaces.  As long as they can adhere to the requirement of “firm and stable”, they can take many pleasing shapes and appearances-mulch, porous blocks, crushed stone, packed soil.  The old idea of plopping down a plain asphalt path is not only outdated, but also demands more resources in the way of dollars and staff time than some of the more natural, less obtrusive materials.  In the age of  MS4 permits and requirements to clean up stormwater, more thought should go into trail surfaces than we gave them 20 years ago. 

-Camille Lore has worked in municipal government and land use planning for the past 10 years.  She is currently a grant writer for MadCityGrants (www.MadCityGrants.com), providing affordable, effective grantwriting for nonprofits in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Pennsylvania’s New Environmental Regulations

Yesterday news broke that the Pennsylvania State Environmental Advisory Board passed a new set of regulations for waterways deemed “high quality”.  The rigorous standards have been set in advance of any Marcellus Shale drilling in the state, in order to help ameliorate the environmental damage such drilling would create.

Here in Allentown, as we are not on the Marcellus Shale, these regulations also include guidelines for the protection of “high quality” waterways with the use of natural vegetative buffers.  This is the part of the new regulation which most directly concerns us. 

As it stands, the Lehigh County Conservation District classifies Trout Creek, The Little Lehigh Creek and Cedar Creek as High Quality streams.   Which would mean that in our parks, the creeks should be buffered with significant areas of vegetation. 

There are no such buffers anywhere in our parks, save a few small places in Trexler Park.

None of this is news to any of you who have been reading my blog for a long time.  I have been the town crier of riparian buffers for almost the entirety of my time as the author of Remember.  Now, with these new state regulations in place, has the time finally arrived when we will see such buffers implemented throughout or park system?

I certainly hope so.

At Lake Nockamixon

My initial reaction upon driving into Nockamixon State Park was the resemblance the road and parking lots had to Island Beach State Park in New Jersey.  As I drove further into the park I began to recall coming to see Lake Nockamixon as a child.

My close friends remain surprised at my seemingly out of nowhere transition to Nature Man.  The truth is that while my dedication, focus and work has recently (as in one year) become focused on Ecological issues; I was brought up at places like Nockamixon.

Growing up, my father took Bucky and I to parks whenever he had a day off.  We visited zoos, “reptile lands”, arboretums, gardens, and (of course) parks.  I spent the majority of my formative years on day-trips all over Eastern Pennsylvania. 

As it stands, the truth is that I have always been somewhat of a Nature Boy whether I recognized it or not.  The trips my father took us on, the crayfish he pulled from under stones in the creek, the sowbugs he collected in the backyard, whatever it was – all of it -
has forever left an imprint on me.

Today, as a member of the Allentown EAC, a student of Environmental Science at Muhlenberg College and an activist and advocate for the environment in the Lehigh Valley, I realize I owe it to my Dad. 
 
Thanks Dad.

Global Warming: The tipping point?

(Image from NASA)

Yesterday, Climateprogress.org released the climate data compiled by NASA for the January-April period of 2010.  The data shows that this period was the hottest recorded in 131 years and this recently released data also shows that the last 12 month period of observation, is also the hottest on record.

Today, I want to take a look at some Climate Change skeptic arguments.

1. “It snowed so much last winter, global warming is crap!”

An isolated snowy month, a blizzard, a heat wave or any other short term weather phenomena are not indicative of a long term climate change pattern which is what the concept of Global Warming is dealing with.  Every long term climate study shows that the average temperature of the earth is rising and rising at a rate over the last 100 years that is alarming when compared to previous warming periods. 

2. “The Earth has warming and cooling cycles, this is just part of the natural process”

This second statement is irrefutably true.  As best as science can tell us, the planet has gone through many cycles of warming and cooling.  Warming cycles are marked by increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and higher sea levels.  Cool cycles show lower atmospheric carbon dioxide and lower sea levels, as polar ice caps and periods of long term glaciations occurred.

Thing is, at least since 1958, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are rising at an exponential rate never before seen in the climate record.  That increase in carbon dioxide exacerbates the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect, warming the planet.  As atmospheric temperatures increase, ocean water temperatures increase and as the water heats up, it expands.  This expansion prevents the ocean from absorbing the carbon dioxide it usually does and begins a sequence of events that can destroy the oceanic food chain, interrupt or stop natural ocean currents and melt the polar ice caps at an extremely fast rate.

The exponential increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been measured and documented at the Mauna Loa Observatory since 1958.

I could keep listing the various claims from Climate Change deniers but the same answer will result.  This phenomenon is real.  I am talking real science here folks, not some Al Gore movie or bumper sticker on a Prius.  From the disappearance of bees and bats to the death of conifers in the Rocky Mountains, the very real effects of Climate Change are beginning to affect the entire world.

It only gets worse from here readers.

This post is not about the problems that will be caused by Climate Change.  The purpose of this post is to highlight an overriding environmental issue that will affect every single one of us in the very near future.  At a time when the environment is the lead news story every night due to an unspeakable ecologic tragedy,  there has never been a better time to bring the scientific realities of a serious global issue to the forefront of both the national political discussion and the local one.

Today, I am going to write briefly about a local discussion of climate change.  Check back tomorrow for a review of the new bill sponsored by John Kerry and Joe Lieberman regarding America’s energy future.

So, what can we do right here in Allentown to fight this global scourge?

First, the little things like turning excess lights off or driving less.  Then, eat sustainably and locally so that the oil needed to put food on your table is lessened dramatically.  Most importantly, we need to become the best possible stewards of the environment that we control, right now. 

Invasive species, watershed health, riparian buffers, tree plantings, etc, etc, are the big issues that we can do something about right here, right now.  Addressing these issues on a local level, in tandem with localities across America and hopefully the world will make the biggest and longest lasting change possible.

I have written about all these things many times.  We know what we are facing.  The time has come to change it.   

Check these things out, this is how you make a difference:

Emmaus Farmers Market
Lehigh Valley Food Coop
Heritage Conservancy

That’s just a start, the list could go on.

In Five Days: EAC Tour of the Parkway

I am really excited about this Sunday.

EAC members David McGuire, Karen Tuerk and myself will be joined by Mike Gilbert the watershed specialist for the city of Allentown.

I really hope to see a lot of folks out.

Come with questions, come to learn!

We will be meeting at the Robin Hood Bridge at 2 PM.

Bring your dogs, bring your families and friends.

FIVE DAYS!

In Six Days: EAC tour of the Parkway

I am really excited about this Sunday.

EAC members David McGuire, Karen Tuerk and myself will be joined by Mike Gilbert the watershed specialist for the city of Allentown.

I really hope to see a lot of folks out.

Come with questions, come to learn!

We will be meeting at the Robin Hood Bridge at 2 PM.

Bring your dogs, bring your families and friends.

Six Days!

This Tuesday: Vote for Joe Sestak

In a first for Remember, I would like to offer the official endorsement of this blog for Congressman Joe Sestak in the Democratic primary against Republican Senator Arlen Specter.  As this is a blog focused on the environment, and on environmental issues, I will be endorsing Congressman Sestak based on his progressive initiatives and forward thinking regarding energy policy and the environment.  

Vote for Joe on Tuesday. 

Specter VS Sestak: On the Issues-

Arlen Specter:

Voted YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax. (Apr 2009)

Voted YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade. (Apr 2009)

Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)

Voted YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)

Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)

Voted YES on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. (Jun 2007)

Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)

Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)

Voted YES on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)

Voted YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)

Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)

Voted YES on Bush Administration Energy Policy. (Jul 2003)

Voted YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)

Voted NO on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)

Voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)

Voted YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)

Voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)

Voted NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)

Voted YES on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)

Voted YES on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)

Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)

Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy. (Mar 2004)

Raise CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018. (Jul 2006)

Rated 50% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence. (Dec 2006)

Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Jan 2007)

Open the Outer Continental Shelf for oil & gas leasing. (Jun 2008)

Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases. (Sep 1998)

• Voted YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program. (Aug 2009)
• Voted NO on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land. (Dec 2007)
• Voted NO on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
• Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
• Voted NO on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
• Voted NO on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
• Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
• Voted YES on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
• Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
• Supports grants for brownfields remediation. (May 2002)
• Make EPA into a Cabinet department. (May 2002)
• Rated 32% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
• Inter-state compact for Great Lakes water resources. (Jul 2008)
• Celebrate the recovery of the bald eagle. (Jun 2008)
• Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting. (Jan 2007)
• Focus on results, not regulation. (Sep 1998)

JOE SESTAK

• Reduce greenhouse emissions & stop global warming. (Dec 2009)
• Create an advanced alternative energy research project. (Nov 2006)
• Voted YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution. (Jun 2009)
• Voted YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets. (Sep 2008)
• Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (May 2008)
• Voted YES on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008)
• Voted YES on investing in homegrown biofuel. (Aug 2007)
• Voted YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC. (May 2007)
• Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jan 2007)

• Voted YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program. (Jul 2009)
• Voted YES on protecting free-roaming horses and burros. (Jul 2009)
• Voted YES on $9.7B for Amtrak improvements and operation thru 2013. (Jun 2008)
• Promote conservation of rare felids & canids. (Mar 2007)
• Grants for beach water pollution under Clean Water Act. (Apr 2008)
• Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting. (Jan 2007)
• Fund projects for international conservation of cranes. (Jan 2009)

VOTE FOR JOE

Oil Disaster: The Game of Saving Face

There is little truth to the modern game of politics save the fact that the discussion of politics in this country has much more to do with image than it does with substance.  When a politician runs for office, they are likely to say what is needed to get elected.  While in office, they are likely to do what it is that is necessary to stay in office.

That is, flash points and hot button topics dominate the world of 24 hour cable news channels.  The sexy headline, be it true or not, is likely to be the headline run (FoxNews has made billions doing just that).  In truth, the modern American politician plays to the lowest of intellectual desire.  When a politician cries “Drill Baby Drill!” from a bully pulpit of nostalgic American imagery, with no grounded economic or scientific data to support their reasoning for oil drilling, a sector of Americans eat it up like candy on Easter Sunday.

They hear things said, like “freedom from Middle Eastern Oil”, and accept such blind dogma as truth.  There is no regard to consequences, environmental or otherwise.  During the last election cycle, as “Drill Baby Drill!” became the winking catchphrase of a “Maverick” campaign, voters on both sides of the aisle agreed.  As of one month ago, the “Hope” campaign having assumed the office of the presidency moved forward on new offshore drilling.  Like all politicians, President Obama made this decision because he thinks that an energy future that is free of foreign control is something that all Americans want, and he is right in his assumption.  His methods are however, obviously, the wrong ones.

As the oil spill in the Gulf worsens, and the ecological tragedy begins to hit home, the “Drill Baby Drill!” cries have been muted.  The President has yet to back off of his call for further drilling, but I imagine he will in the very near future.

A simple Google search will reveal that public support for offshore drilling has hit a record low in America.  It would seem that, now the hour has finally come for our federal government to implement a domestic energy policy that is properly attuned to the common sense environmental decision making that will lead to job creation, innovation, and a clean future.

Do not think for a second that the majority of politicians in Washington DC today would have considered such a radical change before the polls hit bottom on drilling.  A slightly similar situation developed when gas prices hit close to 5 dollars a few years back.  There were genuine discussions on a national level about a new future of clean energy.  The American Public demanded it.  Gas prices fell, and so did the idea of new energy policy.

Now, this situation in the Gulf of Mexico is only going to worsen in the coming months and the terrible situation caused by it is going to last for decades.  This time, in the face of an unparalleled ecological disaster, our politicians will be forced  to consider new policy and we need to remind them every single day that that is their only option.  The politicians will need to save face, and as callous and as cynical as this all may sound, some real good may come from this current game of politics.

Just today, the senators introducing the new American energy bill, have limited offshore drilling, enabled states to veto drilling expansion and added a stipulation allowing the Department of the Interior to do a full environmental assessment of offshore drilling.

A month ago, that section would have detailed plans to create more wells and rigs.  These senators needed to save face, it is an election year after all.

Let’s keep reminding them.  Real action needs to be taken and if ever a politician has been good at anything, they are good at saving face.

Senator Bob Casey:
Contact him here (Click on this)
Senator Arlen Specter:
Contact him here (Click on this)

ALSO:

OIL ARMAGEDDON

2010: The International Year of Biodiversity: At Jordan Park

When I was walking around Jordan Park a few days ago with Doc, I did not know what year it was.  Yes, I knew it was 2010 but I had no idea what particular significance 2010 holds.  2010 has been designated by the United Nations as an “International Year of Biodiversity”.  A major component of this designation is a study on the state of the world’s ecosystems; the results of which have just been released.

Before I get to that though, let me clarify what the word biodiversity means.  The Fifth Edition of Botkin and Keller’s “Environmental Science” defines Biological Diversity as follows”
"Used loosely to mean the variety of life on the Earth, but scientifically typically used to consist of three components: (1) genetic diversity- the total number of genetic characteristics; (2) species diversity; and (3) habitat or ecosystem diversity- the number of kinds of habitats or ecosystems in a given unit area.”

Now, the study commissioned by the UN, concludes the following according to CNN:

”The world's eco-systems are at risk of "rapid degradation and collapse" according to a new United Nations report.
The third Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3) published by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) warns that unless "swift, radical and creative action" is taken "massive further loss is increasingly likely."

In other words, the ecosystems of Earth are up the creek without a paddle.  The study sites specific examples of areas in extremely dire straits but the results make abundantly clear that nearly every ecosystem on earth is at this very moment, in danger. 

So, what exactly does a walk around Jordan Park have to do with a global ecological collapse that would be tantamount to Armageddon?  Simply put, everything.  At this very moment, in Jordan Park, right here in Allentown Pennsylvania, the entirety of the world’s ecological crisis is in full view.

A long long time ago, the current site of Jordan Park was once a wetland. (Allentown City Council documents from 1976 confirm this)  From existing in its natural state Jordan Park has been drained, made into a lake, drained and filled in and made into the park we see today.  If my post ended right here, enough ecological issues would be raised to write a thesis. There is however, much more.

Besides the concreted stream banks with zero vegetative buffering, the ancient remnants of the age of Jordan Lake remain at their worst acting as a “bridge” across Jordan Creek near the center of the park.  Here, the crisis of biodiversity in Jordan Park starts to become readily apparent.  By damming the Jordan, and creating a situation in stark contrast to naturally occurring creek conditions, algae growth, sediment, and excess nutrients steep in a slow draining pool of polluted filth for the majority of the year at Jordan Park.  By existing in such a state, the necessary organic components of the stream’s food web are eliminated.  The number of species drops.  The amount of remaining species drops.  Algae becomes the single dominant species.  Biodiversity is destroyed. 

Further on up the stream, a vegetative buffer has been allowed to grow.  An idle glance from a passer by would see numerous plants, flowers, grasses etc and in all likelihood, that passerby would not think that biodiversity was a problem in that location.  This readers, is the big problem.  You see, a dark turbulent water body doesn’t look right to anyone.  The green stuff does.  One year ago, I would have thought that the buffer at Jordan Park was just fine.

As it turns out, the buffer at Jordan park is full of invasive species.  From the seemingly benign creeping buttercup to the terrible huge Japanese Knotweed. (The picture below shows Doc standing in front of the knotweed so you can see just how large it is already in early May)

These invasive species are rapid colonizers that outcompete native plants for the necessary nutrients needed to survive.  In doing so, they eliminate native plants and become the dominant species. The plants that are eliminated by the invasives are the primary food sources for native animals, birds, insects and fish.  Like algae in the water, as the invasive plants become dominant, biodiversity is destroyed.

Of course, the invasive threat is not just going on in Jordan Park.  Invasive plant species have begun to spread throughout many of our parks.  Since this is the year of Biodiversity, there is no better time to begin educating folks about invasive species.  We can do little to save the Amazonian rainforest here in Allentown.  We can however work to begin the necessary changes in our ecosystems to preserve biodiversity.

The Litter Pick Up at Bucky Boyle

At 11:30, I stood in the parking lot at Bucky Boyle alone and marveled at how cold the wind was.  May 9th?, the sky, the air felt like October.  I assembled the brooms, dust pans, gloves, pickers, and bags, leaned against my car and waited.  Given that it was Mother’s Day, and the weather was not conducive to park clean ups, I thought that no one was coming.

The first arrival was Lauren, a teacher at Sheridan Elementary School.  Lauren is very involved in the community in her role as teacher and coach, and she told me that numerous announcements had been made and she expected at least a few people out.

Next, my parents and then C.R.  We stood in the cold, at noon, and I didn’t think anyone else was coming.  We began cleaning, Dan Poresky joined the fray followed by Dan and Sean.  As our small team worked, a large group of neighborhood kids joined us and subsequently dwarfed our numbers.

I want to thank everyone for coming out.  Lauren for helping get people out and coming out herself despite the holiday.  C.R was fundamentally involved in all aspects of this and made it possible.  I want to thank my parents for coming out, Dan and Sean as well.  I want to thank Michael Molovinsky for dropping in, and donating some hand wipes. 

My greatest thanks and admiration is reserved for the kids who joined us yesterday.  These kids ranging in age from second grade to freshman year of high school were bright, funny, energetic and hard working.  These kids care about the park and came out on their own accord on a cold Sunday in May to help make the park a better place.

If ever I felt as if my blog had a purpose, yesterday the actions of these dedicated young folks is it. 

Although, Hector and Xavier gave me a little schooling as they were Yankees fans and I reminded them that the Phillies happened to be the greatest team in baseball.  To which they asked, “What happened last fall, Andrew?”  Owned.

As it stands though, my beard remains.  Had those amazing kids not shown up, my turnout would have been abysmal.  I hope that in the future, for upcoming events (EAC tour of the Parkway May 23rd, Lunch, party, music, education at Cedar Beach with Jaime K on June 6th and more to come… ), seeing as they are not on holidays, that I will see more of my readers and friends show up and participate.

Yesterday, a group of kids spent a day off from school working to make their neighborhood park a better place.  They will tell their friends and their parents, and they will remember what they did there each time they visit from now on.

I will remember those kids as well each time I visit Bucky Boyle.  They are making a difference.  They are building up a community around themselves that over time will be one worth envy.  They also have a great and dedicated teacher in Lauren who deserves much acclaim for her efforts.  (and yes, you too C…)

Thank you again: Katalina, Heaven, Amanda, Delilah, Thanya, Mary, Xavier, Louis, Hector, Karla, and Xiomara.   Dan P, Sean, Danny, Mom and Dad.

One final note, If you are reading this, young man, I have no doubt whatsoever if you keep working like you did yesterday, the University of Texas will be glad to have you as a new star wide out.  Good Luck friend. 

TODAY!!!!:Bucky Boyle Park –My Beard On the Line

If you have not seen my youtube video regarding the history of Bucky Boyle Park, in preparation for tomorrow’s litter pick up, then you do not know that I have pledged to shave my beard if 20 people show yp to volunteer.

Now, that twenty people does not include the various volunteers that are coming from Sheridan Elementary. Those people are the same folks who, through a penny saving drive, raised money to rebuild the playground at the park that was burned down last year by some morons.

At the moment, my station wagon is full of gloves, garbage bags, dust pans, brooms and litter pickers. (A huge thank you to Ann Saruman and Christine Carter for that)

I still have my beard.

Tomorrow, you can change that. You can also change a neighborhood park for the better. You can come out for a little while and help make a lasting difference.

The litter clean up starts at noon. Below is the video of the history of Bucky Boyle featuring The Boss and the beard pledge. Further down, a map – in case you need directions.

(Click on the map for details. Its from Chew and 15th to the park)


View Directions to Bucky Boyle Park in a larger map

E Coli Outbreak: Arizona Lettuce

Last week, I spent an afternoon with my Environmental Science class working on a local farm.  The name of the farm is Liberty Gardens and is located just outside of Coopersburg.  We were given an incredibly informed tour of the biogeochemical cycles at work in the active compost piles, of the no-till agricultural techniques being used; we were in essence, given a tour of a farm that defies the modern agricultural standard. I was allowed to pick a leaf of arugula, right from the plant and eat it.  My lord, did it taste good.  For an hour, with my bare hands, I mixed peat, compost, clay, chicken poo (sterilized) and lime.  I was covered head to toe in dirt and poo and I stunk something fierce.  I felt good.

Last Sunday was opening day for the Emmaus Farmer’s Market.  I bought twenty dollars worth of greens that I have been slowly demolishing over the week.

None of these sustainably grown, local, farm grown products left me sickened. 

Today, a factory farm in Arizona is responsible for distributing E Coli contaminated lettuce to 23 states.  This is not homegrown stuff here folks, this is nutrient deficient, poorly grown mass product. (not produce)

Along with the Oil Armageddon currently developing in the Gulf of Mexico, never has the unsustainable manner in which the modern American lives been more exposed. 

What’s next? Another coal mine blast?  More coal workers dead?  More bees disappearing? Bats dying? Something worse?

This Sunday, go to the Emmaus Farmer’s Market.  I’ll be there.  Cast your vote for the real future of this country.  This is all simply disgusting.

(Note, I realize that some factory farming must occur for all people to be fed.  Agricultural practices have to be entirely changed in order to make that farming sustainable.  Monopolies like Monsanto need breaking up.  1970’s era farm subsidies must end.  Factory farming can be done in an environmentally sensible way.   We have eroded more topsoil in the last 70 years than can be created in 1000.  Time for a change folks.)  

Look for more agriculture posts in the coming weeks.

Also: Oil Armageddon

Oil Armageddon

The oil is washing ashore now in the Gulf of Mexico as a nearly Michael Bay-esque plan to “cap” the oil leak with a giant petrol condom is being attempted. Regardless, the lasting ecological damage is done.  Millions of microorganisms, the foundation of the oceanic food web will die.  Thousands upon thousands of insects, fish, crustaceans, birds and other animals will die.  The economy of the Gulf states will be hit harder than every before.  Restaurants, tourist destinations, fisheries, etc, etc, will close.  This is an ecological event with no comparison.  Nothing like this has ever happened before (Not even the Exxon Valdez).

Hearing the outrage of people regarding this tragedy across America, is in some cases genuine, and in others, laughable.  The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, widely considered to be the living breathing reincarnation of conservative god Ronnie Reagan blamed the spill on God.  Sarah Palin said that this is what our dependency on foreign oil gets us.  Mrs. Palin seemed to infer that because the company responsible for this spill was British, that had the company been American, this would not have occurred.  I hope Mrs. Palin is made aware that Haliburton was working on the site of the spill in the days and weeks before it happened.  She also forgot to chant her “Drill Baby Drill” mantra when speaking publicly regarding this situation.

I have yet to hear President Obama make a national address wherein he changes the energy policy of this country in a manner befitting a responsible and clean future.  I don’t think he can even if he wants to.  At the end of the great era of Conservation, the American public held tight to the ideals of Pinchot, Muir, and the Roosevelts.  After WWII, through the age of the baby boom and into the rise of modern neo-conservatism with the aforementioned conservative god, Ronald Reagan, conservation was lost to corporation and unchecked, unregulated development, often at the expense of the environment.

This oil spill shows us at our absolute worst. It shows a country afraid to make sacrifices for the greater good.  It shows a country no longer able to lead the world into a new day of prosperity, innovation, and sustainability. 

When no outcome was reached at Copenhagen last December on Carbon Dioxide emission reductions, I could do nothing but sigh.  Now, none of us can go to the Gulf Coast and ladle the oil out.  We can however, clean up our back yard, right here in Allentown.  We can restore, preserve and protect the environment right here.  If everyone joined together in every municipality across this country, and sacrificed and worked hard to make this a reality, then the President could get on the TV, turn to the nation and announce the plan we need.  

Are we tough enough to do what needs to be done?

As our ecological apocalypse continues, we can only watch the horror unfold. 

We can also start making a difference

The Result of Creating Sustainable Parks

Riparian buffers, No-Mow Zones, Rain Gardens and the like are terms that I have used often in my time as writer of Remember.  I have called for a proper re-naturalization where such a process is possible in our parks and in all places in our park system, a re-vegetation to occur to preserve and sustain the local ecosystem.

I have used the words of legends like Muir and Leopold to help drive my point home and perhaps, the language I have used is too rhetorical and a much simpler and smaller point behind all this exists.

As it turns out, there are many points to be made about a truly sustainable park rather than a manicured plot of land tailor made for recreation.  It turns out, that there are very important things a sustainable park provides for the community. 

The American Planning Association, in tandem with the University of Illinois produced a study concerned with this very topic.  Combining the efforts and work of researchers across the country from a variety of disciplines, the study concluded four key points which I will share below.

”1. Time spent in nature immediately adjacent to home helps people to relieve mental fatigue, reducing aggression.

2. Green residential spaces are gathering places where neighbors form social ties that produce stronger, safer neighborhoods.

3. Barren spaces are more frightening to people and are more crime prone than parks landscaped with greenery and open vistas.

4.In order to make the best use of greenery and
open space, it must be positively incorporated into a community's design.”

Food for thought.

Cedar Beach Riparian Buffer ? : May 5th 2010

Upon initial observation, it would be difficult to determine exactly where the riparian buffer at Cedar Beach is.  The scraggly, invasive species dominated area that is currently flagged as a no mowing zone is around 8 feet or less in length. 

There are spots where the “buffer” reaches about 12-15 feet around certain groups of willow trees, maples, and river birches.   Immediately following those extended growth areas, the buffer is trimmed to 4 feet or less.  I suppose this is in an attempt to strike a balance as the buffer concept is relatively new to Allentown park denizens.

If this piddling growth is an attempt to introduce park users to the idea of a buffer before going all out next year, fair enough.  Based on observations of a similar “buffer” architecture in the Lehigh Parkway, I would imagine that this is the best we are going to get.

Last October, during the volunteer planting, I assumed that the trees planted about 25 feet from the banks of Cedar Creek were to be the edge of the new buffer zones.  While 25 feet is not ideal, (100-300 feet is), it was a marked  improvement over nothing at all.  Alas, as I said above, with the buffer barely extending eight feet, these trees are outsiders on the lawn.  I have placed a meter stick at 25 feet from the creek bank in the picture below.  I have also laid behind the meter stick.  I am about six feet tall.  Behind me, in the back of the shot, you can see the orange flag that designates the current edge of the vegetative barrier.

On one side of the creek, the line of trees we planted exists in an area that is not mowed.  It is however immediately sandwiched between two mowed areas, one leading to the same scant eight feet of buffer seen throughout most of the park. 

Not that the length of buffer isn’t enough of an issue, the plants inside the buffer are a bigger concern.  Many of the plants we installed last October have begun growing, amongst thickets of invasive species.  Creeping buttercup and garlic mustard being the pretty ones, Poison Hemlock being the real issue.  (And yes, as in Socrates)

i take full consideration of the fact that this is the first year of riparian buffer development at Cedar Beach Parkway and I understand fully that a lot of training and work needs to be done to see the buffer come to a proper future fruition.  I would hope that Greg Weitzel has the plans in place to see that such a future occurs.  The last we met, Greg told me he was a conservationist and was rather adamant about the fact.  I believe this to be the perfect opportunity for Greg to prove it. 

Let’s see this buffer reach a minimum length of 25 feet, in all locations with mowed access points at occasional intervals.  To create such a buffer would in no way impact the open lawns meant for recreation, dog walking, and relaxation. 

Let’s see a team of volunteers trained over this summer to manage invasive species and have them implemented next year to begin to turn the tide and see native species return to Cedar Beach.

I am actively finalizing plans for a restorative “rain garden”.  A final plant list has been vetted and now donations must be secured.  Once said donations are acquired, I will be submitting a draft planting plan to Greg. 

The park staff is incredibly overworked and understaffed, whenever we can and however we are able to, let us see that their work is supplemented by our efforts and our support.  Bruce Solt and his boys deserve our thanks, they work hard. 

The following was published in 1999 by the University of Georgia in a mass effort to consolidate riparian buffer research and reach a conclusion describing the most effective buffer practices:

“Sediment is the worst pollutant in many streams
and rivers. Scientific research has shown that vegetative buffers are effective at trapping sediment from runoff and at reducing channel erosion. Studies have yielded a range of recommendations for buffer widths; buffers as narrow as 4.6 m (15 ft) have proven fairly effective in the short term, although wider buffers provide greater sediment control, especially on steeper slopes. Long-term studies suggest the need for much wider buffers. It appears that a 30 m (100ft) buffer is sufficiently wide to trap sediments under most circumstances, although buffers should be extended for steeper slopes. An absolute minimum width would be 9 m (30 ft). To be most effective, buffers must extend along all streams, including intermittent and ephemeral channels. Buffers must be augmented by limits on impervious surfaces and strictly enforced on-site sediment controls. Both grassed and forested buffers are effective at trapping sediment, although forested buffers provide other benefits as well.”

The flora of Cedar Beach Parkway: Part One

(Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to join the Rose Garden Neighborhood Association as a guest on their walk at Cedar Beach.  The intent of the walk was to observe the growing flora in the naturalized section of the park behind the Rose Gardens.  One member has been working on a botanical inventory and led the walk.  I want to thank the RGNA for allowing me to come, learn and now, share some awesome information with the readers of Remember.)

Today, will be the first in a four part series that spotlights the plant life growing in the riparian buffer zone at Cedar Beach Parkway.  The remaining three posts will be written in June, October, and December. 

Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)
A member of the hyacinth family,this Invasive Species was named after its star like flowering shape. It was probably introduced to America sometime in the 1940’s and like all invasive species is a rapidly reproducing, and easily dominating specimen that is a serious threat to native vegetation.
Link to DCNR page on Star-of-Bethlehem
  Thin-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus)
Come summertime, this native species will display a brilliant yellow flower.  For now, in the months of spring development, the future blossom is a distant promise.  Check back for part 2 this summer to see the flower.
Link to USDA page on Thin-Leaved Sunflower
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Another Invasive Species, this yellow flowering plant is considered a ground cover because of its ability to spread rapidly and dominate areas in which it grows. As you can see in the picture below, this plant can mean some serious business.
Link to Wiki Page on Creeping Buttercup

Wintercress ( Barbarea vulgaris)
An Invasive Species, and member of the mustard family, is a biennial that is a native of Europe. Of the various names this plant can go by, I think Wound Rocket is my favorite.
Link to USDA page on Wintercress

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
We’ve seen this character before.  This is a highly invasive species that can be seen dominating ecosystems all over the area.  This plant is a real pain. This is a plant that like, Japanese Knotweed, Tree of Heaven and Purple Loosetrife, I can easily say, I hate the sight of.
Link to PA DCNR page on Garlic Mustard

Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
Another Non-Native, but this one has been around long enough to be considered “naturalized” in some places.
Link to Wiki Page on Shepherd’s Purse

Gill-over-the-ground (Glechoma hederacea)
This carpenter bee is sitting on an Invasive Vine, that like the damn Garlic Mustard, is all over the place.  It’s common name is rather appropriate, the son of a gun is all over the ground, everywhere.
Link to the Minnesota DCNR page on Gill-over-the-ground

Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron Philadelphicus)
Mr. Fleabane is one of the good guys.  A delicate, wispy flower that is Native. It gets its name, fleabane, from a supposed odor that is a repellant to fleas.

Silver Maple (Acer Saccharinum)
Another Native, and the only tree on the list today.  Whenever I see one of these saplings growing on a creek bank, I actually feel better. 

I cheer for thee Silver Maple.

(Thank you C.S for the wonderful tour and amazing information.  This post is really hers!)

Special Invitation: Allentown EAC Tour of Lehigh Parkway: May 23rd

Allentown's Environmental Advisory Council Invites you on a Tour of the Lehigh Parkway.


The event will take place on Sunday May 23rd. The walk begins at 2 PM and ends at 4PM.


This tour will be hosted by EAC members, David McGuire, Karen Tuerk and Andrew Kleiner.


The goal of this event is to provide a snapshot of the environmental and ecological conditions in the Parkway.


There will be opportunities to ask questions.

Please consider attending this hike, it will be a fun, informative afternoon that will serve to highlight the unique ecological features of one of Allentown's grandest parks.

Is this really what it has to take? (Our addiction to Oil)

The worst man-made natural disaster is expanding its reach of ecological Armageddon as you read this.  Scientists and government authorities have begun releasing to the public a “nightmare scenario” where the uncontrolled gush of the oil well manages to get picked up by the Gulf Stream and taken all the way up the East Coast and into the heart of the Atlantic Ocean.

For now, the oil is expected to wash ashore either today or tomorrow.  As that occurs, the extent of damage caused to marine animals and birds will begin to become apparent.  A scientist is quoted in the New York Daily News this morning saying, “The animals threatened most by the spill are bluefin tuna, sea turtles, brown pelicans, shrimp and sharks.”

Before this oil spill, the Gulf Coast was already in terrible ecological shape. This quote is from Elizabeth Carlisle at Tulane Univeristy:

  “ The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone is a seasonal phenomena occurring in the northern Gulf of Mexico, from the mouth of the Mississippi River to beyond the Texas border.  It is more commonly referred to as the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, because oxygen levels within the zone are too low to support marine life.  The Dead Zone was first recorded in the early 1970's. It originally occurred every two to three years, but now occurs annually.  In the summer of 1999 the Dead Zone reached its peak, encompassing 7,728 square miles.

    Hypoxic conditions arise when dissolved oxygen levels in the water fall below two milligrams per liter of water, too low to sustain animal life in the bottom strata of the ocean. The Dead Zone forms each spring as the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers empty into the Gulf, bringing nutrient rich waters that form a layer of fresh water above the existing salt water. It lasts until late August or September when it is broken up by hurricanes or tropical storms.  The nutrients provide favorable conditions for excessive growth of algae that utilize the water’s oxygen supply for respiration and when decomposing. “

It would seem that we have been trying to destroy the waters of the Gulf Coast for years, and now, we have finally done it.

This disaster has occurred because of the sick addiction this country has for oil.  For decades, the call for alternative energy has gone without heed from federal and most local governments.  The general American public continues to guzzle oil without question en masse and unless gas prices hit 4 bucks a gallon or the entire gulf coast is covered in oil, not many even think to question it.

The closest our national debate ever turns to alternative energy is during election cycles.  Inevitably each candidate pledges to “end our addiction to foreign oil.”  During the last presidential election one of the flash quotes came from former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  With a wink, she turned to the camera and said “ Drill Baby Drill.”

Mrs. Palin, kindly visit the gulf coast this week and continue a campaign for just that. 

No candidate should pledge to “end our addiction to foreign oil.”  They should make certain, as active legislators to end our addiction to oil.  To consider such a thing, after truly examining the extent to which oil is used in this country, seems absurd.  In terms of consumption, nothing we touch, eat or use on a daily basis in America has been clear of the touch of oil somewhere during its development.

Expect more of these disasters folks, and every time we eat at chain restaurants, buy factory farmed produce, shop at big box stores, and drive our cars needlessly we condone the practices that led to the current disaster and the future ones.

Our addiction to oil and the subsequent consequences of it are like the entirety of the United States, smoking a giant cigarette 24 hours a day and expecting to never get lung cancer. 

Today, and hopefully from now on (but I doubt it), Americans should see clearly the need for a new era of progressive alternative energy development in this country.  Americans should be prepared, to turn excess lights off, drive less, make the minor sacrifices that will lead to a genuine new century of American innovation and prosperity.

So often, you hear politicians speak of the ingenuity of Americans through history.  When was the last time we were a country of innovation?  Check the tag on your clothes right now, I’ll bet you 10 bucks it wasn’t made here, barely anything is. 

Now, consider the jobs created by wind farms in Washington (state),  Texas, Oregon, off the coasts in places where even President Obama want to erect more oil wells.  Consider the pride that would be felt by an individual going to work at a new job everyday that directly contributes to a healthy planet and a clean and self reliant America.

Alas, such a shift in thinking seems years away.  No truly progressive energy legislation is anywhere close to being passed in DC. Until such a time comes, batten down the hatches folks, this stuff is going to keep happening.  Don’t forget, it may not be an oil spill, but rising sea levels, increased frequency and severity of weather events, rise in disease occurrence, etc etc etc

This disaster, is this really what it has to take to shake this country out of its oil daze and wake up to the reality of such a destructive mass existence?

Sad thing is, I don’t think it will.

See Also:

The 6 worst case scenarios of the Gulf Coast oil spill
(That article is a doozy)

The Parkway: The Way It Was…

I have  received real criticism from folks worried that the parks they have come to love would be altered in ways that would render them inaccessible.  I understand the sentiment.  I do not seek to make such a thing a reality.

What I am after is the opportunity to restore the vital ecosystems that have gone endangered over the last thirty years in Allentown’s parks. 

I too feel the sting at Cedar Beach with the road cutting through the once great open lawn.  I understand and see the value in such a thing, don’t get me wrong.

However, the serious environmental issues in our parks need solving and as it turns out, a while back, things were a lot different.

As far as keeping parks the way they were, I am going to leave you today with a picture sent to me in an envelope anonymously through the mail.  It is undated, but based on the text and the attire of the person on the bridge, this one goes waaaaay back. 

This is the area that I described in a recent post as needing to be allowed to properly grow!  At what point did they start taking it out?  Things are so much different now.  That doesn’t even look like the Parkway, it looks much closer to how I imagine it should.   WOW.

For More on this area and the future of the Parkway:

Read This: Suggestions on the Future of The Parkway

The great bird in the Parkway

I was squatted down by the spring, trying to identify some plants.

A passerby froze and pointed upwards.

My parents, who were walking with me stopped and looked.

The great bird flew over our heads and turned around behind us,

hunting.

White underneath, bright with the sun, gray on the wings with wide circles,

The great bird flew over our heads and turned around behind us.

"Stop for a second, I want to take your picture. C'mon buddy, just sit on a branch"

The great bird flew over our heads and turned around behind us.

A passerby froze and pointed upwards.

A woman ahead said "Did you see the osprey?"

It was a song I saw swooping, the hum and pulse of an ancient instinct, a drive, two eyes sharpening their gaze to a point. An ear to hear any sound of prey.

The robins and wrens fled.

The great bird flew over our heads and turned around behind us.

"Is that a hawk over there too?"

What could be if they let the grass grow to succession?

The great bird flew overhead and left us.