Conservation Corner
By Karen Fuller
2024
April 2024
:
Rain Garden Thoughts - SUNY Farmingdale
A few years ago I said I really wanted to build a rain garden. I spent a lot of time researching and zero time acting. Now that I’m having a huge exterior renovation, it seems reality will force me to build one.
I’m excited to visit SUNY Farmingdale for inspiration. Inside their sprawling 4 acres maintained by horticulture students and staff is a new rain garden.These teaching gardens were scheduled to open for the season on April 1. The gardens feature themes filled with woodland wildflowers, flowering trees and bulbs, and the insight I’ll need to create a welcoming yard out of my now nearly blank slate. The gardens are open daily 8 AM to dusk. Phone for info: 934-420-2711 or visit https://www.farmingdale.edu/business/hor/teaching-gardens.shtml.
If you’re looking forward to their annual plant sale, it’s May 7-9 from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Electricity Needs are Spiking
As reported in the New York Times, the appetite for electricity in the US is growing exponentially. This follows two decades of flat demand. Many grids were already stressed in peak times. Why the sudden increase? It is driven by more domestic factories, data centers and expected growth of electric vehicles. Remote workers and AI use a lot of computing power. With longer, hotter summers, air conditioners are running overtime and people are investing in heat pumps. Over just the next five years, the increase in electricity needed will amount to adding an entire California to the US grid.
How are we meeting the demand? Not by carbon-neutral means. There are more regulatory hurdles to building solar and wind generators, they require battery backup as well because they don’t produce electricity 24/7. They require new long-distance transmission cables. There is a longer lead time in getting the materials needed to construct them. So the upshot is states are building new natural gas plants over the next 15 years and holding off on retiring coal ones. Experts now agree that the goal to generate all of America’s electricity from pollution-free sources such as wind, solar and nuclear by 2035 can’t possibly happen.
Progress will be difficult and slow. Regulatory changes can help somewhat. But the power companies are still largely controlled by a reliable fossil fuel mentality, and they are resistant to change. Investment in new infrastructure is expensive, and people are hesitant to shut a power plant that still has many years left. If you’re interested in the full article, here’s a link to read it for free: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/13/climate/electric-power-climate-change.html?unlocked_article_code=1.eU0.3AzB.30cGzKhG9JWf&smid=url-share
And a fun interactive article about plastic recycling: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/21/climate/plastics-recycling-trash-environment.html?action=click&pgtype=Interactive&state=default&module=styln-climate&variant=show®ion=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc
Rain Garden Thoughts - SUNY Farmingdale
A few years ago I said I really wanted to build a rain garden. I spent a lot of time researching and zero time acting. Now that I’m having a huge exterior renovation, it seems reality will force me to build one.
I’m excited to visit SUNY Farmingdale for inspiration. Inside their sprawling 4 acres maintained by horticulture students and staff is a new rain garden.These teaching gardens were scheduled to open for the season on April 1. The gardens feature themes filled with woodland wildflowers, flowering trees and bulbs, and the insight I’ll need to create a welcoming yard out of my now nearly blank slate. The gardens are open daily 8 AM to dusk. Phone for info: 934-420-2711 or visit https://www.farmingdale.edu/business/hor/teaching-gardens.shtml.
If you’re looking forward to their annual plant sale, it’s May 7-9 from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Electricity Needs are Spiking
As reported in the New York Times, the appetite for electricity in the US is growing exponentially. This follows two decades of flat demand. Many grids were already stressed in peak times. Why the sudden increase? It is driven by more domestic factories, data centers and expected growth of electric vehicles. Remote workers and AI use a lot of computing power. With longer, hotter summers, air conditioners are running overtime and people are investing in heat pumps. Over just the next five years, the increase in electricity needed will amount to adding an entire California to the US grid.
How are we meeting the demand? Not by carbon-neutral means. There are more regulatory hurdles to building solar and wind generators, they require battery backup as well because they don’t produce electricity 24/7. They require new long-distance transmission cables. There is a longer lead time in getting the materials needed to construct them. So the upshot is states are building new natural gas plants over the next 15 years and holding off on retiring coal ones. Experts now agree that the goal to generate all of America’s electricity from pollution-free sources such as wind, solar and nuclear by 2035 can’t possibly happen.
Progress will be difficult and slow. Regulatory changes can help somewhat. But the power companies are still largely controlled by a reliable fossil fuel mentality, and they are resistant to change. Investment in new infrastructure is expensive, and people are hesitant to shut a power plant that still has many years left. If you’re interested in the full article, here’s a link to read it for free: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/13/climate/electric-power-climate-change.html?unlocked_article_code=1.eU0.3AzB.30cGzKhG9JWf&smid=url-share
And a fun interactive article about plastic recycling: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/21/climate/plastics-recycling-trash-environment.html?action=click&pgtype=Interactive&state=default&module=styln-climate&variant=show®ion=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc
The Seed Library
Who doesn’t like FREE? NENPL receives seed donations from Seeds donated to the library by Seed Savers, High Mowing Seeds, and Hudson Valley Seed Company. All seeds are organic, non-GMO and heirloom. You can take 3 different packets while supplies last.
How do I ‘check out’ seeds? 1. Select the seeds that you would like to take. 2. Fill out the seed form. This helps us keep track of how many gardeners are using our Seed Library, and will help us improve our Seed Library for next year. https://www.nenpl.org/seedlibrary
Who doesn’t like FREE? NENPL receives seed donations from Seeds donated to the library by Seed Savers, High Mowing Seeds, and Hudson Valley Seed Company. All seeds are organic, non-GMO and heirloom. You can take 3 different packets while supplies last.
How do I ‘check out’ seeds? 1. Select the seeds that you would like to take. 2. Fill out the seed form. This helps us keep track of how many gardeners are using our Seed Library, and will help us improve our Seed Library for next year. https://www.nenpl.org/seedlibrary
March 2024
Yes, We’re Sinking
A recent article in the New York Times (February 13, 2024) looked at a recent study that analyzed how the east coast is sinking. At a rate of one to two millimeters per year, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but the long-term impact is great. This is combined with a rise in sea levels of 4 mm per year. By 2050 JFK Airport could be under water, subway tunnels flooded, and even Eaton’s Neck cut off as an island. Importantly, this rate is faster than they estimated only a year ago.
Land sinking comes from two main causes, increased building in the coastal areas (compaction) and pumping water out of the aquifers and not replacing it (building sewers and dumping the treated waste into the oceans rather than returning it to the ground. The authors of the study warn about the “complacency” of big cities in maintaining their infrastructure. The 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers report card for airports, schools, roads, bridges, dams, and levees in the United States found that these infrastructures were in “mediocre” or “poor” condition, with only railways in “good” condition.
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/15/as-aquifers-are-depleted-areas-along-the-east-coast-of-the-us-are-sinking/
A recent article in the New York Times (February 13, 2024) looked at a recent study that analyzed how the east coast is sinking. At a rate of one to two millimeters per year, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but the long-term impact is great. This is combined with a rise in sea levels of 4 mm per year. By 2050 JFK Airport could be under water, subway tunnels flooded, and even Eaton’s Neck cut off as an island. Importantly, this rate is faster than they estimated only a year ago.
Land sinking comes from two main causes, increased building in the coastal areas (compaction) and pumping water out of the aquifers and not replacing it (building sewers and dumping the treated waste into the oceans rather than returning it to the ground. The authors of the study warn about the “complacency” of big cities in maintaining their infrastructure. The 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers report card for airports, schools, roads, bridges, dams, and levees in the United States found that these infrastructures were in “mediocre” or “poor” condition, with only railways in “good” condition.
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/15/as-aquifers-are-depleted-areas-along-the-east-coast-of-the-us-are-sinking/
Wood Chips for Free?
Unless you have an agreement with a landscaper, you may find yourself hauling bags of mulch or wood chips to your yard. As you know, companies who are doing tree work will charge you for the dump fee. But rather than bringing chips to the dump, they can bring them to you instead. If you need a lot of chips (or have neighbors who want to share with you), and if you don’t need the chips on a specific schedule, if you don’t mind finding occasional refuse in your chips, check out this site. Free = You Get What You Pay For. https://getchipdrop.com/
Unless you have an agreement with a landscaper, you may find yourself hauling bags of mulch or wood chips to your yard. As you know, companies who are doing tree work will charge you for the dump fee. But rather than bringing chips to the dump, they can bring them to you instead. If you need a lot of chips (or have neighbors who want to share with you), and if you don’t need the chips on a specific schedule, if you don’t mind finding occasional refuse in your chips, check out this site. Free = You Get What You Pay For. https://getchipdrop.com/
January / February 2024
Setback for the GE American Chestnut Experiment The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) announced in December that they were withdrawing support for the genetically engineered chestnut tree they’d spent over a decade and millions of dollars developing. Hopes were that they’d be able to reforest a chestnut tree that was not susceptible to blight; unfortunately, there was high mortality in the variety they were testing and had to abandon the “Darling 58.” This tree was widely touted in the press as recently as this summer as the way to restore the American Chestnut. Apparently, an error was made going back several years that mixed up the pollen with another version. This created a tree with significant survivability issues. They do still hope that one of the other varieties in development will succeed. One of the major partners of TACF is SUNY-ESF, the college our last two scholarship recipients are attending. If you’re interested in learning more about how TACF is working to restore the American Chestnut tree or would like to grow your own wild tree: https://tacf.org/american-chestnut-seeds-and-seedlings/ |
For Birds
As we sit in our houses in the winter and plan for Spring plantings, we watch the birds foraging and wonder if we’re doing all we can. Yes, we can supplement with feeders and fresh water, but what about our own food web? Migrating as well as overwintering birds depend on berries. Berries! How many plants in your yard produce berries? Are they native plants? A study from Rochester Institute of Technology evaluated native berry plants and their nutritional benefits for birds. These recommendations are based on “measured nutritional and biochemical composition of fruits, estimated nutritional requirements of birds, and bird preference experiments in which birds choose between several choices of fruits.” A printable 2-page guide is here: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1816&context=other They suggest “planting or encouraging the growth of at least two species from the ‘Highly recommended’ list plus plant species from the other lists when possible.” This is the abbreviated version of their list: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND PREFERRED BY MIGRATORY BIRDS Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum Dentatum, Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa, Silky Dogwood Cornus amomum, Red Osier Dogwood Cornus sericea RECOMMENDED AND EATEN BY MANY MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS Serviceberry Amelanchier spp, Common Elderberry Sambucus canadensis, Spicebush Lindera benzoin, Pokeweed Phytolacca americana, Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida, Chokecherry Prunus virginiana, Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum RECOMMENDED AND EATEN BY A FEW MIGRATORY SONGBIRDS AND OVERWINTERING BIRDS Northern Bayberry Myrica pennsylvanica, Winterberry Ilex verticillata, Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa, Mapleleaf Viburnum Viburnum acerifolium, Nannyberry Viburnum lentago |