Thinking about Apathy in Nature

Today I awoke to find an article in my inbox that begged me to read it. The topic was one that Tina and I have batted around in a past post, Finding Truth in a False Idyll. The author, Alan Lightman, writes in the article entitled, Our Lonely Home in Nature:

After each disaster, we grieve over the human lives lost, the innocent people drowned or crushed without warning as they slept in their beds, worked in their fields or sat at their office desks. We feel angry at the scientists and policy makers who didn’t foresee the impending calamity or, if forewarned, failed to protect us. Beyond the grieving and anger is a more subtle emotion. We feel betrayed. We feel betrayed by nature.

Aren’t we a part of nature, born in nature, sustained by the food brought forth by nature, warmed by the natural sun? Don’t we have a deep spiritual connection with the wind and the water and the land that Emerson and Wordsworth so lovingly described, that Turner and Constable painted in scenes of serenity and grandeur? How could Mother Nature do this to us, her children?

It seems that prior to nature wrecking havoc on our individual lives we take a default stand that nature is a provider of resources, landscapes, wildlife, and substance. We see the avalanche prone mountains, flood stage rivers, tornado conditions, landslide slopes, fire adapted chaparral, and seismically active regions as the exception to the rule that nature loves and nurtures us. This is an understandable condition given our origin. We, like all life on earth, are a product of this planet. If this rock provided conditions that brought us into being how could it also bring about conditions that destroy homes and wreck lives?

Land Management Tips for Wildlife

A few weeks ago I had a friend ask me, "I want to own land and manage it to save the world. How can I do that?" As I thought of all the possible ways land could be managed to mitigate habitat destruction, increase local food supply or assure flora that will strive in a changing climate, one thread came to me as the most important element in land management. I replied, "Manage with thought." I deeply believe that it is a lack of planning and forethought that helped degrade the productivity of a great many acres coast to coast and it will be planning for the future that will help solve the challenges facing land management today. I will keep this post on what I know best, managing land for the benefit of wildlife.

My first suggestion to is to make land ownership work for your needs. Management should be lasting in terms of economic, environmental and social commitment. If a landowner cannot maintain the land on these three fronts then any changes made to the property are unlikely to have any lasting benefit.

Next up, understanding the property as it fits into the landscape. Almost any wildlife species will need more space than the average landowner can provide. Therefore, it is important to find a role each property can play in providing food, water and habitat to the local fauna. If the surrounding properties are fulfilling one or two of these requirements, it could be of greater benefit to have the property fill the third. Food plots, ponds or modifying vegetation cover are all possible ways to do that.

The structure and layout of these resources should also be a consideration. Feathered edges which are soft borders transitioning from forest to shrubs to pastures or farmland allow many animals to have cover from predation. Consider vegetation at different heights as well. Grass, shrubs, understory trees and canopy trees all provide different niches and resources to wildlife species. The ability of the wildlife to get to the food, cover and water provided is also important. Placing these resources within a reasonable distance, 200 yards for a rough average, makes sure all the pieces fit together to create usable habitat.

Finally, work on some small projects that help increase the utility of the land to wildlife. I cannot emphasize this enough: stick with native vegetation. Exotic plants might have one advantage or another but they are rarely worth the potential harm they can cause or as well adapted to the climate and soil as native plants. Piles are another good thing for wildlife. Rock piles or brush piles can provide habitat for a wide host of wildlife. Also, leave standing dead trees. The life of the tree is not over when it dies. A dead tree can provide a home to woodpeckers and flying squirrels. There are many cost share programs to help landowners increase the usefulness of their land to wildlife. Contact your state’s conservation department for help accessing these funds.

(modified from Working Trees for Wildlife by USDA in partnership with the Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service.)